FASHION IN MOTION
On 15 January, Balenciaga unveiled its Pre Fall 2026 collection under the creative direction of Pierpaolo Piccioli. The maison enters a territory where excess gives way to intention, and where clothing no longer shouts but finally breathes. Lightness, flexibility and an innate awareness of the body define this moment.
The Italian designer continues to explore the essence and techniques of the house founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. This collection marks a turning point. There is no gratuitous shock, no empty irony. What emerges is a Balenciaga that chooses depth over immediate provocation, proposing a fashion language that observes the world before reacting to it.
THE BODY AS THE CENTRE, NOT A SUPPORT
Piccioli repositions the human body at the heart of the narrative. Here, clothing does not dominate the wearer, it accompanies them. Silhouettes respond to movement, to stillness and to real life. This is a collection that understands contemporary luxury as clarity of gesture rather than excess of information.
References to Cristóbal Balenciaga’s heritage appear almost silently through precise volumes, intelligent construction and absolute respect for the architecture of garments. All of this is reinterpreted through a modern, urban and deeply human sensibility.
BETWEEN THE EVERYDAY AND THE SACRED
Streetwear, so present in Balenciaga’s recent history, does not disappear but is elevated. With a sporty dimension applied to tailoring, utilitarian pieces and athletic codes coexist without hierarchy. The result is an aesthetic that dissolves boundaries between home and street, comfort and sophistication, the ordinary and the extraordinary.
Chic streetwear, techwear, sportswear and even a techno inspired ball gown define the womenswear offering. Balenciaga also presented the debut of its menswear line under Piccioli, a reinvention and structuring of the modern male wardrobe. The contemporarysportswear identity of the house merges seamlessly with classical tailoring expertise,drawing inspiration from garments originally created by Cristóbal Balenciaga for himself.
The collection also introduced a collaboration with the National Basketball Association, highlighting the centrality of sport, the concept of movement and activity, as well as the energy and team spirit intrinsic to basketball.
Luxury here is expressed through comfort and lightness, as a state of mind. Piccioli proposes a fashion language that does not need to explain its relevance. It simply exists with strength and coherence.
A NEW FORM OF POWER
If Balenciaga’s power once resided in rupture, it now lies in consistency. This collection does not seek to dominate cultural discourse. It enters it with intelligence and maturity. A form of luxury that does not ask for permission, nor demand attention, but earns it.
Within Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga, another collaboration also took shape, this time with the master of footwear Manolo Blahnik. Inspired by archival Blahnik designs and curated by Piccioli, three models were presented, including low heel mules and slingbacks. Crafted in silk satin, a signature material of Blahnik, the shoes will be available in various colours, featuring a distinctive detail: the inner lining appears in Balenciaga grey. A detail we truly love.
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA
The collection presented is not an ending, but a prologue. An invitation to rethink the role of fashion in a world saturated with images and noise. Under the direction of Pierpaolo Piccioli, Balenciaga chooses permanence over fleeting impact.
Perhaps this is its most radical statement to date.
Photos by Robin Galiegue - Courtesy of Balenciaga
