Show review in a sentence: Pierpaolo Piccioli leans into the digital zeitgeist of fashion at Balenciaga, pairing cinematic staging with sculptural clothes that nod to the house’s architectural heritage.
Designer: Pierpaolo Piccioli
For Balenciaga fall/winter 2026, Pierpaolo Piccioli immersed showgoers in the theatre of showmaking itself. The presentation unfolded as a collaboration with Sam Levinson, creator of Euphoria, with scenes from the series’ upcoming third season woven into the set through a clair-obscur technique of light and shadow. The result was atmospheric and enigmatic, at moments almost cinematic, underscored by a soundtrack that included Steely Dan’s ‘Dirty Work’ drifting through the room.
Much of the experience lived in that interplay between image, sound and clothing, the set lending the show a slightly dreamlike quality. It created a backdrop against which the collection could unfold gradually, revealing the ideas Piccioli has begun to shape for the house.
What truly stood out were the clothes. Subtle nods to the 1980s appeared in luxurious bowl-shaped hats and in the house’s architectural signatures: structured collars, curved coats and silhouettes with sculptural clarity. Striking bursts of colour punctuated the lineup—one magenta coat in particular drew an audible gasp as it passed. Elsewhere, feathered coats and shimmering gowns introduced a sense of glamour that felt distinctly Balenciaga, pieces that move effortlessly from runway spectacle to boutique allure.
If anything felt slightly at odds with the mood, it was the appearance of oversized hoodies woven through the lineup, a nod to yesteryear. They diluted some of the collection’s sharper, more sculptural moments, and the show might have been stronger had the power of tailoring and eveningwear carried the narrative on their own.
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