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Kering has announced that Pierpaolo Piccioli will step down as Balenciaga’s creative director after less than two years in the role. The departure comes during a wider restructuring at the luxury group; reports that Martine Rose may succeed him remain unconfirmed.
Pierpaolo Piccioli will step down as creative director of Balenciaga after less than two years in the role, French luxury group Kering announced. The exit is part of a wider creative and business restructuring led by chief executive Luca de Meo; Kering has not confirmed who will succeed Piccioli.
Piccioli joined the Paris-based fashion house after Demna moved to Gucci in March 2025. At Balenciaga, Piccioli sought to bring his couture-focused approach to a brand known for both its fashion heritage and its more recent streetwear influence. The announcement gives no detailed account of the reasons for his departure or a specific date for when he will leave.
Kering described trading conditions at Balenciaga as difficult. The group said the house “faced a more challenging quarter” while working through its creative transition and seeking “to restore balance across its business.” That statement links the leadership change to a period of adjustment but does not establish that business performance alone prompted Piccioli’s exit.
De Meo praised Piccioli’s work and set out the group’s stated ambitions for the house. Balenciaga’s next creative leadership is still unsettled: Hypebeast reported that London-based designer Martine Rose has reportedly been tapped for the job, but neither Kering nor Balenciaga has confirmed that report.
Balenciaga Faces Another Creative Reset
Piccioli’s departure means Balenciaga will have another change at the top of its creative direction after Demna’s move to Gucci in 2025. The appointment that follows will shape how the house balances couture craftsmanship, its historic identity and its streetwear profile—a tension that formed part of Piccioli’s brief.
The change also sits within Kering’s broader effort to reshape its portfolio. For the group, creative leadership is tied to how individual houses present themselves to customers and respond to business challenges. Kering’s reference to a difficult quarter and an effort to restore balance indicates that Balenciaga is working through both a creative handover and business pressure, though the company has not quantified the effect or said what specific business changes are planned.
For customers and the fashion industry, the immediate practical question is who will design Balenciaga’s next collections and when the handover will take place. Until an appointment is announced, speculation about a successor should not be treated as a confirmed decision.
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From Demna’s Exit to Piccioli’s
Demna left Balenciaga for Gucci in March 2025, and Piccioli took over the Parisian house afterward. His tenure brought a different creative sensibility: the source report characterizes his approach as an effort to combine couture techniques with Balenciaga’s established streetwear credibility. The report also points to difficulty reconciling his romantic aesthetic with the house’s more subversive codes, but that assessment is reporting and interpretation rather than a stated explanation from Kering.
Piccioli’s exit is one of several leadership developments cited in the report as part of change across Kering’s brands. It mentions high-profile departures at Saint Laurent and McQueen, while offering no further detail on those changes. The confirmed point relevant here is Kering’s description of an ongoing restructuring; the report’s account of other exits does not establish that they share the same causes or timetable.
Balenciaga’s transition has also been visible in its recent creative calendar. The report notes Piccioli’s Fall 2026 couture debut, which placed emphasis on the shape, color and movement of garments. That work forms part of his record at the house, but Kering has not announced how his departure will affect upcoming shows or collections.
““Pierpaolo is an exceptional couturier and creative talent for whom we have the greatest respect.””
— Luca de Meo, Kering chief executive
Successor and Exit Date Unsettled
Kering’s announcement, as described in the source report, does not specify when Piccioli’s departure takes effect, whether he will remain involved during a handover or who will take over. Martine Rose’s name appears only in an unconfirmed report; no successor has been confirmed by Kering or Balenciaga.
The company has not provided financial figures for Balenciaga in the material supplied or explained how much the challenging quarter contributed to the leadership change. It is also unclear what the group means by restoring balance across the business, or whether further changes to Balenciaga’s structure or creative direction will accompany the departure.
Awaiting Balenciaga’s Next Appointment
The next confirmed development to watch for is an announcement from Kering or Balenciaga naming a successor and clarifying the timing of the handover. Until then, reports about potential candidates remain unverified. The companies may also provide more information about the creative plans for the next collection or how Piccioli’s departure fits into Kering’s restructuring, but no such details are included in the announcement described here.
Key Questions
Is Pierpaolo Piccioli leaving Balenciaga?
Yes. Kering announced that Piccioli will step down as the house’s creative director after less than two years in the role. The announcement described in the report does not give an exact departure date.
Who will replace Piccioli?
No successor has been confirmed by Kering or Balenciaga. Hypebeast reported that Martine Rose had reportedly been tapped for the role, but that remains unconfirmed.
Why is Piccioli leaving?
Kering has not given a detailed reason for his departure. The group said Balenciaga faced a more challenging quarter while working through a creative transition and seeking to restore balance across its business; it did not say that this was the sole cause of the change.
How long was Piccioli creative director?
He served for less than two years. He took over after Demna moved to Gucci in March 2025, according to the source report.
Source: hypebeast.com
