It’s the season of a dozen directional debuts, and closing out day six of Paris Fashion Week was Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga. The Spring 2026 collection marked the very first from the revered designer, who became the creative force behind the Paris-based fashion house a mere five months ago (succeeding Demna). Titled “The Heartbeat”, the Italian designer opted to showcase his debut within Balenciaga’s historic headquarters and ushered in a new era with clear references to the brand’s rich heritage. Complete with a front row stacked with Meghan Markle, Anne Hathaway, and Lauren Sanchez, models emerged from backstage in a lineup of exaggerated trains, balloon silhouettes, and flashes of contemporary streetwear.
Balenciaga Spring 2026 Collection Review
Read below the reactions of theFashionSpot’s forum members:
“It’s not bad, but it kinda looks like a Carolina Herrera or Oscar de la Renta collection. I thought he was going to be a lot more grand and elevated and have more fun with the archives, it’s way too tame.” [Marc10]
“Terrible debut. Boring collection. This will bring some people back to the brand but not sure it will make up for the amount who will be done with this brand now.” [reese06]
“What a letdown.” [dessertstealer]
“Weak as hell. Too mundane.” [Thefrenchy]
“There are some glimmers of hope in the more severe looks. As soon as he veers into romance we’re lost in a pile of clothes full of balenciagas shapes and empty of attitude. Also the accessories, especially the bags are generic as hell.” [Norden]
“Oh my, what a snoozefest. Looks like Alexander Wang’s stint for Balenciaga. Horrible. Old-fashioned. Actually, Cristobal was more progressive than this collection. I give Piccioli three more seasons before he gets fired.
And the bags? What generic pile of nothing was that!” [90sfan]
See all the looks from the Balenciaga Spring 2026 collection and join the conversation, here.
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