For Spring Summer 26, Balenciaga turned the page on a new chapter. The first-ever collection under the discerning eye of Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli was unveiled within a reconstructed Parisian salon, and made clear that this was not a beginning, but a continuation, of Balenciaga's rich history.

In the spirit of Cristóbal Balenciaga, the clothes felt light and precise. They held shape without relying on heavy structure, using cut and fabric to create volume. Piccioli focused on the harmony between the body and the garment — not just how clothes fit, but how they moved with their wearer.

Rather than replicate the past, Piccioli looked to it as a foundation for what comes next. The subversive, streetwear-inspired influence of Demna could be felt in pieces like oversized T-shirts layered over voluminous skirts.

Nicolas Ghesquière's penchant for sculptural shapes pulsed through pieces like a longline leather tunic that seemed to defy gravity as it hung open in the back.

And further in the archives still, Cristóbal Balenciaga’s influence was ever-present, from a reimagining of his iconic sack dress, to one of the collection’s key developments: neo gazar, a new version of the house’s iconic fabric, invented by Cristóbal in 1958.

Originally developed to give garments their distinctive volume, gazar was known for its stiffness and structure. Piccioli’s version kept the sculptural qualities but made the fabric softer and more wearable. Made from layers of gauze and organza, and blended with silk and wool, neo gazar allowed garments to hold their shape without feeling rigid.

Everything in the collection pointed back to process — how things are made, and why that matters. As the show notes described, it's this process that comprises the "heartbeat" of the House.  His first outing for Balenciaga wasn’t about reinvention for reinvention's sake. It was about slowing down, paying attention, and letting the designs speak for themselves. In doing so, Piccioli set a clear tone: respectful of the House’s past, but ready to write its next chapter.