ClairObscur.
Since taking over the house, Piccioli has steadily been establishing his own language at Balenciaga, moving away from simply repeating the past and instead bringing the house’s codes into a more refined, human-focused direction. His campaigns so far have followed that idea, from the David Sims-shot “Heart and Body” series to the more cinematic projects surrounding his latest collections. Now, Balenciaga is putting a new spotlight on Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Winter 26 collection, ClairObscur, with a campaign photographed by Robin Galiegue and starring Dara Gueye, Liu Wen and Anok Yai.
The collection itself is already familiar to those who have been following Piccioli’s Balenciaga closely, with several of its key pieces having surfaced earlier in the year. Sculptural coats, hooded outerwear, sharp peacoats and rounded-shoulder jackets return in rich leather, shearling and wool, while flashes of acid color cut through the darker palette. High collars, exaggerated proportions and cocooning shapes give the garments a distinctly architectural feel, while new bags and footwear (including the Hourglass Avenue, Le 7 Bowling Bag, Bloom Pump and Midnight City Mule )continue Piccioli’s approach of taking recognisable Balenciaga signatures and giving them a cleaner, more polished treatment.
PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Galiegue
