PARIS – Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut at Balenciaga Sunday night nodded to the house’s past – its founder Cristóbal Balenciaga and two more of its recent past designers, Nicolas Ghesquière and Demna – and its present. Piccioli added his own signature to the brand’s fashion, as well, with the sculptural silhouettes, opulent color and romanticism for which he is known.

Celebrity guests at the show, held in an elegant venue in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, included Isabelle Huppert, Kristen Scott Thomas, Anne Hathaway, FKA Twigs and Meghan Markle.

WWD polled fashion experts about their thoughts on the debut. Here’s what they shared.

Beth Buccini, owner and founder of Kirna Zabête

I was thrilled to see Pierpaolo’s debut at Balenciaga. He’s always been one of my very favorite designers – I’ve literally wept at his shows before. It was a fantastic beginning that was both a palate-cleanser and an amuse-bouche. He paid homage to Cristóbal’s iconic architectural shapes, but presented them in a modern way. I like that he started with stark black and white looks, which showcased his design prowess, and then layered in purple, yellow and magenta to demonstrate his extraordinary sense of color. The show was full of rich textures and supreme craftsmanship that you can only find at this level in Paris. Overall, it was such a strong and thrilling debut, and I can’t wait to get into the showroom to see everything up close! 

Linda Fargo, senior vice president of fashion and store presentation director at Bergdorf Goodman

Balenciaga was reborn tonight in Paris. We could hear the heartbeat of the newborn. It was meant to be! As if Pierpaolo has been preparing to take the creative reins at Balenciaga his whole life.  He has always had a couturier’s eye. This is his zone completely.  He recalled the swooping curves and rounded clean lines that Cristóbal brought to the fore, but Pierpaolo made Balenciaga anew with modern chic silhouettes, structure and the perfect amount of color. We’re incredibly excited to be able to introduce this new Balenciaga to our clients – we’re sure they will eagerly appreciate the beauty.

Pamela Golbin, curator, author,and fashion historian

For his debut collection at Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli delivered a perfect collection of beautiful clothes. It is not an homage to the founder of the house, Cristobal Balenciaga, but a “recalibration.”

At the heart of Piccioli’s volumes and their lightness is neo gazar, a double-weave fabric introduced by Cristóbal in 1958 allowing the construction of the garments to retain an openness and fluidity. With it, Pierpaolo explores the space between fabric and body, where the air between them becomes a third dimension and a vital component of their construction to create bold and unexpected shapes.

Iconic fashion editor Diana Vreeland placed Cristóbal’s contributions in context at the time: “All women search for their special identity … Balenciaga brings the body and dress together in harmony and suddenly she finds herself in perfect rhythm with the universe.” Time will tell whether Piccioli’s vision leads us to that same rhythm – or somewhere entirely new.

Simon Longland, director of buying, fashion at Harrods

Pierpaolo Piccioli delivered an extraordinary debut at Balenciaga, a collection that balanced reverence and renewal with rare precision. His deep exploration of the archive paid true respect to Cristóbal Balenciaga, one of fashion’s greatest pioneers, while his reimagining of signatures — from sculptural silhouettes to something as elemental as the T-shirt — revealed a couture-level sensibility.
The collection was both powerful and poetic: gowns of couture stature sat alongside impeccable leather and denim, proving his ability to elevate every facet of the wardrobe.
This was not only a beautiful collection, but a confident new direction for the house — one that feels entirely authentic to its heritage while opening an exciting new chapter. It was everything we had hoped for from a designer of his caliber.

Roopal Patel, senior vice president, and fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus 

Pierpaolo is back and better than ever. Wow! That debut collection for Balenciaga was full of emotion. It was chic and glamorous, with his keen sense of color and color play. The couture hand was seen in the silhouettes, proportions and in homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga. As Pierpaolo said in his show notes, “The collection comes from a place of love and connection.” We have missed Pierpaolo and are so happy to be connected again.

Alexandre Samson, curator of haute couture and contemporary collections at Palais Galliera

The introduction of a new era for Balenciaga, refocused on its heritage. A kind of return to order. A credible reinterpretation of the historical silhouettes and volumes envisioned by Cristóbal Balenciaga — the sack dress, the tilted back and spoon-shaped curve, the top extended into a peacock tail….

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s mastery and profound understanding of materials prevent it from becoming a static retrospective, instead bringing to life the movement and renewed desirability of these shapes. In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.

Benjamin Simmenauer, professor and director of research at the Institut Français de la Mode in Paris

Coming right after Demna is obviously a major challenge for any artistic director, even a very experienced and talented one such as Pierpaolo Piccioli. What is clear is that Balenciaga heads to a totally different direction. A lot of dresses directly reference Cristóbal Balenciaga’s couture heritage, in a simplified version, more accessible and less extreme. There are other nods to the house codes, like the billowing backs on the jackets and coats, or the peacoat. Pierpaolo Piccioli also infuses his vision of Balenciaga with a more literally glamorous take on femininity, which he has been known for at Valentino, of course. Balenciaga strays away from a more experimental fashion approach the maison has been pushing under Demna, but also under its founder. It may be a wise decision given the challenging time for luxury, but it might also let down those who expect Balenciaga to be the edgiest house.