In the season of sizzling-hot debuts, designer Pierpaolo Piccioli gets his turn to present the new Balenciaga.

The Balenciaga Summer 2026 show invitation included a cassette tape that played a heartbeat, setting the tone for a collection that essentially captures the, well, heart and soul of Balenciaga, through fresh eyes, of course.

The use of color, dramatic shapes, and sleek textures in the Balenciaga Summer 2026 collection certainly evokes memories of Picciolo's Valentino era. However, these are also deep references to the Balenciaga archive, specifically codes established by its founder, Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Ahead of the presentation, Balenciaga's Instagram account gave a taste of what's to come from Picciolo's debut. That included a 1967 photo of a silk wedding dress and a matching hat by Cristóbal, confirming the archives as a crucial point of inspiration.

But Balenciaga Summer 2026 isn't a homage, according to the brand's show notes. Picciolo is "recalibrating" Balenciaga, rethinking how it looks today. In the process, he's remembering the house's disruptive past and even the creative directors that came before him, including Demna who is now Gucci's creative director.

Oversized alien-level sunglasses and sharp point-toe heels oozed of Demna's larger-than-life, streetwear-ish edge. But they've been redefined by Piccioli's modern POV.

Piccioli, who was named creative director in May, even appeared in his signature all-black 'fit, paired with those thick 3XL sneakers from Demna's tenure.

The new Balenciaga also brought a different crowd, which included fresh albeit familiar faces like PinkPantheress and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle (!!!) at the presentation.

And as Lauryn Hill's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" carried us through the SS26 finale, all eyes indeed fell on the new Balenciaga, memories of Old Balenciaga re-envisioned for the future.

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