For Fall 2026, Pierpaolo Piccioli continues to redefine Balenciaga by starting from a question that is both simple and radical: what does it truly mean to dress the body today? Body and Being is not a slogan—it is his personal exploration of that question. The collection stems from a return to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s methodology, not as a historical citation, but as a profound attention to the human being, to the body that inhabits the clothes. Piccioli works with lightness and elasticity, not only as material qualities but as a state of mind. His vision looks squarely at the present, at a world where sport, technology, and everyday life intersect without clear boundaries. The collection moves fluidly between tailoring, TechWear, sportswear, and more formal garments, with no hierarchy—everything coexists, everything can be worn.
The debut of Piccioli’s menswear for Balenciaga marks an especially compelling moment. The man imagined by the designer is refined yet never rigid, built on hybrids that merge sartorial outerwear with sports references. For the Balenciaga woman, he continues his exploration of strength and determination. The Maison’s signature gestures of elegance—long gloves, draped hats, delicate heels—are amplified, sometimes taken to the extreme, then seamlessly integrated with streetwear and sporty pieces. The result is a new kind of grace, one that makes even functional garments feel sophisticated. The lookbook, shot by Robin Galiegue in Paris, is the final chapter of this immersive narrative. The images eschew artificial staging: the clothes are photographed on the street, in the gym, during daily commutes, at home. They are worn by a diverse community of actors, artists, musicians, and models—fresh faces embodying a more open, more human Balenciaga family. Accessories follow the same logic. Bags become pared-back and essential, jewelry nods to the archives without veering into nostalgia, and shoes balance comfort with formal precision. Throughout the collection, one idea resonates clearly: dressing the body is an act of care.
“I believe sport is one of the most powerful ways to express values such as excellence , integrity, and respect. On a field or a court, people from different backgrounds, cultures, and abilities come together under the same rules and with the same goals. That shared space creates a heightened sense of connection and focus, reminding us of the discipline, commitment and intensity that define sports at its highest level.”
One of the most strikingly modern aspects of the collection is its removal of boundaries between different realms of dressing. Daywear converses with eveningwear, sportswear merges with tailoring, technology meets tradition. Performance fabrics become a second skin, designed to move with the body and adapt to real life. Here, technology serves the body, enhancing comfort, well-being, and movement. Unsurprisingly, sport is a central presence, highlighted by the collaboration with the NBA. Basketball is Piccioli’s unexpected ingredient, a symbol of collective energy, dynamism, and community. It is first and foremost a cultural reference, before being an aesthetic one. By definition, basketball is a collective gesture, a shared rhythm, and this resonates perfectly with the idea of clothing as a second skin—or better yet, as a space to inhabit. Fusing these two seemingly distant worlds could have been a challenge, yet the Maison manages to integrate its codes without overloading them. Take, for example, the number 10—le dix—which becomes a subtle but powerful marker, linking the basketball court to the historic address on Avenue George V: a simple, yet brilliant, gesture!
To add another layer to the Fall 2026 launch, the Maison led by Pierpaolo Piccioli chose to engage in a dialogue with one of contemporary footwear’s greatest masters, Manolo Blahnik. Piccioli and Blahnik share a vision rooted in rigor, respect for craft, and meticulous attention to detail. Their collaboration is a conversation that reaches back in time, evoking Cristóbal Balenciaga—not as an icon to reference, but as a cultural presence, a method, a way of thinking. It is no coincidence that their shared Spanish roots form the invisible thread holding the entire project together. The partnership has resulted in three distinct styles: a low-heeled mule and two slingbacks. The lines are clean, the deep-cut décolletés reveal the skin, drawing the eye to the body—a central element in the new Balenciaga under Piccioli’s direction. There is no intent for excess; every choice is carefully calibrated. What is particularly striking is how these models emerge from a direct dialogue with the Manolo Blahnik archive. Piccioli selects and fuses diverse references to create shapes that are entirely new yet immediately recognizable. Silk satin, offered in a range of colors and always lined in Balenciaga’s signature gray, reinforces this notion of controlled elegance. The detail that captures the eye is the crystal embroidery across the vamp. Here, Blahnik’s love for jewel-like shoes finds full expression, while Balenciaga recalls the iconic bijoux creations of Cristóbal from the 1960s. It is in this layering of references that the collaboration reaches its fullest potential, revealing a deep, harmonious synergy between the two masters.
“Don Cristóbal Balenciaga is, to me, the ultimate designer. […] To be partnering with Balenciaga, and with Pierpaolo, fulfils a lifetime dream. Pierpaolo’s direction for Balenciaga resonates profoundly with my own ideas of how the modern woman should dress in 2026, a vision of timeless elegance rooted in craftsmanship and enduring beauty.”
-Manolo Blahnik
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