Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has been appointed the new Creative Director of Balenciaga, succeeding Demna, who moved to Gucci earlier this year.

Piccioli, who most recently worked as Creative Director of Valentino, commented 'I must first and foremost thank Demna; I’ve always admired his talent and vision. I couldn’t ask for a better passing of the torch. He paid homage to Cristóbal Balenciaga in his own way, sharing his point of view while maintaining the house’s core identity alive. This gives me the chance to shape a new version of the maison, adding another chapter with a new story'.