Alongside the stern, cold, and soulless Mugler collection by Miguel Castro Freitas, Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga debut stood out as this season’s bleakest. This was particularly surprising given the now-legendary moments he once delivered at Valentino. I’m still not sure why Piccioli tried so hard to merge Demna’s aesthetic – oversized glasses, tough leathers, exaggerated proportions – with Nicolas Ghesquière’s urban coolness, which the collection only vaguely attempted to channel. The result was a confusing mix of directions that ultimately rendered the collection entirely directionless.

One could, of course, play fashion trivia and identify the visual nods to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s vast archives: the single-seam wedding dress, cocoon and sack silhouettes, elongated architectural forms… Yet Piccioli’s interpretations felt rushed and, above all, unflattering. There were even moments when I thought I was looking at a Victoria Beckham collection. She has a tendency of trying hard to make fashion statements through unnecessary gestures (that was the case this season). Very worrying.

But then I never was a number one fan of Piccioli’s ready-to-wear at Valentino. He’s a haute couture guy, so I’m very much looking forward to his take on the maison‘s sacred heart.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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