The Italian designer delivered crisp, bright pieces for the house during Paris Haute Couture Week.

Sometimes, returning to basics serves one well, especially if it is a timeless style. For Balenciaga's 55th Haute Couture collection, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli put the house's enduring essence and intention at center stage. In his debut collection, the Italian designer emphasized how couture can serve many purposes, such as information, experimentation, and reflection.
"This collection is the result of a feeling. We worked while getting to know each other, learning to understand one another," he said in the show notes. "We built our own language, full of new words and timeless ones. We searched, we tried, we remembered."
Taking place at the scenic Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris courtyard, 52 finely crafted garments made their way down the circular catwalk. Whether it be silhouettes sculpted with the help of architecture or decoration making itself known through lapels and hemlines, change from the inside is pivotal to the collection.&nbsp;
Model and fashion darling Anok Yai opened the show to the tune of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day." The look featured a large, bright orange feather boa, a clean white top, blue leather gloves, baggy khaki pants, and a pair of brown high heels. Not only does this ensemble mark the fabulous return of house codes to Balenciaga couture, but it is in spirit with Cristóbal Balenciaga's classic reconsideration of the body that defined him as an iconic talent.
Sharp edges that can cut through lies, outfits that elegantly displayed the body, and a sparkly Haute Couture City Bag only intensified the brand's creative liberties while honoring signature styles. Puffed-up skirts, cashmere coats, and the iconic Balenciaga green paired well with high-neck dresses, ombré pieces, and arm bracelets.&nbsp;
Feathers remained a mainstay of the collection, as seen in Gigi Hadid's Philip Treacy headpiece that melted seamlessly into a black dress. In collaboration with the Irish haute couture milliner, the garment and millinery boundaries have never been closer than now. Yai returned to the runway to close out the show in a lush, oversized long-sleeved white dress paired with dangling red earrings and brown feather open-toe pumps. Piccioli and the Balenciaga Couture team walked out together in white trench coats to thank the audience for witnessing the brand's latest spectacle.
Getting a chance to witness history being made were friends of the house, which included Rachel Sennott, Teyana Taylor, Hudson Williams, Demi Moore, Lily Collins, Cynthia Erivo, Giveon, Naomi Watts, Shailene Woodley, Isabelle Huppert, Jodie Turner-Smith, Quenlin Blackwell, PP Krit, Hugo Ekitike, and Molly Gordon, amongst others.
Not only does Piccioli continue to show the fashion world his spectacular collections, but he also demonstrates the importance of balancing bright outfits with shadow-forward garments through Haute Couture. Thanks to the creative director and his design team, three-dimensionalities have never looked better, and couture as a form of authentic sculpture returns to the storied house.
"This collection is the result of the work of the people in the atelier, human beings who are couture, because couture is made by the people who live it," concluded Piccioli. "This note is to thank each and every one of them for their time, love, and commitment. This is our collection, this is our work, this is Balenciaga Couture, now."&nbsp;
Below, explore all of the looks from the Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture collection.

Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture. Courtesy of Balenciaga.b

Pierpaolo Piccioli Returns Balenciaga To Elegance In Haute Couture Debut

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Pierpaolo Piccioli Returns Balenciaga To Elegance In Haute Couture Debut

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