By The Fashion Editorial Team
Following Pierpaolo Piccioli's debut Spring/Summer 2026 collection for Balenciaga, the newly appointed creative director revealed the first campaign for the brand on October 21. A new era for the House unfolds under Piccioli as captured in the new campaign by longtime collaborator, photographer David Sims.
“For my first campaign for the House, I wanted to create something that felt truly personal and could tell a story of effortless beauty and delicate humanity. Working with my dear friend and artist, David Sims, made it even more special. Together, we capture ed Mona and Sandra as they are — spontaneous, real, soft, yet strong — a reflection of the new Balenciaga woman and the beginning of a chapter that feels deeply meaningful to me,” expressed Piccioli.
A new woman defined by her quiet strength, sensitivity, and self-possession is seen in moments of ease across the sunlit beds of Paris’ l’Hôtel de Maisons—Pozzo di Borgo. Starring models Mona Tougaard and Sandra Murray, Piccioli’s collection, fluid yet architectural, intimate yet imposing, focuses on a renewed femininity: modern, wearable, and deeply Balenciaga.
Among the 18th-century grandeur of Grand Siècle architecture, Piccioli reimagines what form strength and femininity may take today. Introduced in the campaign are two protagonist accessories: the Rodeo and Le City bags. Enhanced utility and living codes of the House, the two silhouettes celebrate Balenciaga's past innovations as seen through Piccioli's vision of intimacy and purpose.
In this new Balenciaga expression, the esprit de Paris shines brightly amid the savoir-faire where human presence coincides with monumental form. A steadfast believer in beauty, Pierpaolo, like many of the Parisian designers who came before him, is committed to revealing a woman who is both muse and mirror: the face of Balenciaga's evolving soul.
Images courtesy of Balenciaga
