Set against the 18th-century backdrop of the Hôtel de Maisons Pozzo di Borgo, the campaign redefines modern femininity for the brand.
Summary
- Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first campaign for Balenciaga, shot by David Sims, defines the house’s new “soft power,” prioritizing intimacy and individuality.
- The campaign highlights the Rodeo and Le City bags as central elements of the brand’s renewed identity, linking past innovations with a new purpose.
The first visual statement of Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Balenciaga has arrived, following his runway debut as Creative Director. The campaign, a series of portraits by photographer David Sims, serves as a clear indicator for a house undergoing intentional change. It introduces a vocabulary centered on sensitivity and individuality, a move away from provocation.
The images present a new woman for Balenciaga. Piccioli stated his intention was to create something personal that told a story of “effortless beauty and delicate humanity.” Working with Sims, a frequent collaborator, he aimed to capture the models, Mona Tougaard and Sandra Murray, as “spontaneous, real, soft, yet strong.”
This aesthetic is realized through the setting: the Hôtel de Maisons Pozzo di Borgo in Paris’s 7th arrondissement. The grandeur of the 18th-century Grand Siècle architecture contrasts with the intimacy of the scenes, which depict the models in moments of ease on sunlit beds.
The clothing articulates a renewed femininity that prioritizes wearability and authenticity over artifice. It is a portrait of Piccioli’s belief in beauty as emotion.
Central to this narrative, and the business of the house, are two enduring emblems: the Rodeo and Le City bags. These accessories anchor the campaign, symbolizing Balenciaga’s dual identity of utility and refined allure. The Rodeo reflects urban ease, while Le City stands as an expression of craft and attitude.
Together, the bags link Balenciaga’s past with Piccioli’s focus on intimacy and purpose.
