PIERPAOLO PICCIOLI BALENCIAGA CAMPAIGN

Summary:

• Pierpaolo Piccioli releases his first Balenciaga campaign ahead of his spring/summer 2026 Paris Fashion Week debut
• David Sims photographs models Mona Tougaard and Sandra Murray at Hôtel de Maisons in Paris
• The campaign introduces a new vision for the Kering-owned house through fluid silhouettes and iconic accessories

Pierpaolo Piccioli has released his first campaign for Balenciaga weeks before his runway debut at Paris Fashion Week. The Italian designer joined the French house to lead its spring/summer 2026 womenswear collection. His initial visual statement arrives through a series of still and moving portraits.

David Sims photographed the campaign. The longtime collaborator worked with Piccioli to capture models Mona Tougaard and Sandra Murray. The shoot took place at Hôtel de Maisons in Paris. Natural sunlight fills the frames as the models occupy quiet moments on beds throughout the space.

Piccioli describes his approach to the project. "For my first campaign I wanted to create something personal and tell a story of beauty without effort and delicate humanity", he says. "Working with my dear friend artist David Sims made everything more special. Together we captured Mona and Sandra as they are: spontaneous, true, yet strong."

The creative director positions this work as the foundation for his tenure at the house. He calls the campaign "a reflection of the new Balenciaga woman and the beginning of a chapter with deep meaning" for him.

The imagery presents a shift in the brand's visual language. Piccioli develops a vision centered on understated strength, sensitivity, and self-possession. His female figure emerges through unforced moments rather than constructed poses. Tougaard and Murray move through the intimate hotel setting with natural ease.

The clothing demonstrates Piccioli's design philosophy. Silhouettes flow while maintaining architectural structure. Pieces feel intimate yet command presence. This duality extends throughout the collection. The designer balances youth with austerity, refinement with spontaneity. Each pairing creates an organic tension rather than forced contrast.

Accessories bridge the house's heritage with Piccioli's new direction. The campaign features the Rodeo and Le City bags. Both styles carry decades of brand history. Their inclusion signals respect for Balenciaga's archive while pushing toward fresh territory. The Kering-owned house positions itself between past and future.

Sims' photography style complements Piccioli's design vision. His lens favors authenticity over artifice. The portraits strip away excess staging. Models exist in genuine states of rest. Composition focuses on form, light, and texture rather than elaborate styling.

The campaign establishes visual codes for Piccioli's Balenciaga. Softness meets structure. Heritage meets innovation. Strength appears through quiet confidence rather than loud gestures. These principles will likely inform his approach when the full collection debuts on the Paris runway.

The spring/summer 2026 womenswear presentation during Paris Fashion Week will mark Piccioli's first full collection for the house. Industry observers and fashion press await this showing with attention. The campaign offers initial clues about his creative direction while leaving room for discovery.

Piccioli brings his background to a house known for bold statements. His previous work emphasized romantic sensibility and technical precision. At Balenciaga, he appears to merge these strengths with the brand's sculptural tradition. The result suggests a recalibration rather than a complete departure from the house codes.

The Hôtel de Maisons setting provides context for this new chapter. Paris serves as both literal and symbolic location. The city connects to Balenciaga's founding while representing ongoing fashion capital status. The hotel's domestic interiors humanize the high fashion context. Beds, natural light, and lived-in spaces ground the work in everyday reality.

Tougaard and Sandra Murray embody this balance. Both models bring established careers and distinct presences. Their casting reflects deliberate choices about representation and aesthetic. They read as individuals rather than blank canvases.

The campaign positions Balenciaga for its next phase. Piccioli's leadership comes after years of different creative direction under previous designers. His appointment signals Kering's confidence in a specific vision. This initial campaign serves as public declaration of intent. The full expression arrives when the runway shows begin.