Pierpaolo Piccioli is Going to Balenciaga, And Why It Matters
Plus: 5 Long Dresses That're Fit For Rome.
What Caught My Eye is a daily column about internet culture, people you should know about, business, shopping, and fashion.
Hello everyone, hope you had a good weekend. Aside from catching up on messages at the end of the day, I was barely online this weekend—which turned out to be quite restorative. On Friday, I caught up with an old colleague from Celine, who gave me a scoop on Michael Rider’s new collection.
She tells me that there’s a maxi dress in store that’s to die for. Judgment Day (a.k.a. the debut collection parade, which is sure to arrive alongside a wave of reviews) is set for July 6. I pressed her on whether the collection might veer too close to Ralph Lauren territory. She told me, “he’s not strictly relying on his past experience, but rather creating something new that can live on its own.”
After a glass of wine, we headed out for pizza. If you’re ever in Paris, I highly recommend Peppe Pizzeria—she’s Roman and gave me the address. On Sunday, as I usually do, I went on my weekly 10K pilgrimage along the Seine with my golden retriever. As someone who works with the Internet everyday, it’s a welcome moment of quiet to reflect on this newsletter and gather inspiration from the street style that makes this city sparkle.
PRESS ROUNDUP:
Read: The Curious Case of the Loewe Tomato
WCME: Pierpaolo Piccioli is Going to Balenciaga
I had a very different newsletter planned for today. But when the news broke through a Vogue Exclusive in a news blast that Pierpaolo Piccioli had been named creative director of Balenciaga, I decided to scrap the letter I had planned to announce the news. It’s an epic development, to say the least, that Pierpaolo, a designer known for his finesse with color, has been appointed to a house that is renowned for shape. Especially at a time of transition, when Balenciaga had been caught in the limelight as a brand of the streets, with commercial flavor and consumerism at the forefront.
“We keep the language but change the attitude,” Pierpaolo Piccioli told Vogue in a 2011 interview on his approach to Valentino. In his new appointment, he promises to bring to light a new moment for fashion, heralding “a new image that is about assertiveness, humanity and intelligence”.
Fashion has turned into a spectator sports in recent seasons, with a slew of designer musical chairs that have upended the meaning of style in fast-changing times. The appointment didn’t come without a string of speculation. Jolain Muller recently wrote an essay about the history of Balenciaga, citing Pierpaolo Piccioli as a successor who “understands modern luxury without being mired in the past”. His romantic approach to design is a stark difference from his successors, most notably Demna who one can argue was better entrenched in the sociopolitics of dressing and modern TV at large.
The New York Times calls the moment a tilt towards kindness, calling his vision more utopian than dystopian. In the long run, this means a shift away from cancel culture and the politics of a trend, for a more studied long-term vision about how to dress. He says he doesn’t intend to work from a blank slate, rather than create from the past in order to bring the past into the future. It’s all based on a picture. One engineered through the atelier that’s timely, and set for the the future.
It’ll bring color to our eyes, alongside a burst of futuristic romanticism.
An Abstract Courtier
Even Dior said, "Balenciaga is the master of us all." And master he was of the pure and abstract, the intellectual. His disciples have sometimes pushed conceptual design to the outer limits. For some, the ne couture rule seems to be, "more is more."—Vogue, October 1989.
What is a Gaucho?
Early in the 1970’s, Valentino Garavani looked to Gauchos to put forward a new silhouette for the decade. A gaucho is a noble, brave and generous couwboy from the south.
5 Things To Pack: The Summer Dress Edit
Your daily packing list: men’s, women’s, and summer’s best style—wherever you’re headed.
If they aren’t already, DÔEN and SEA should be on your summer dress shopping list.
Doen Black Augustina Dress, $498
J.Crew Smocked Waist Dress, $148
Tove Chocolate Brown Dress, $595
Sea Tank Dress, $545
Sea Paisley Flower Dress, $245
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YES. So excited to see what’s coming
Hi Kevin, You know I couldn’t be happier about Pierpaolo’s appointment. He will bring beauty back to fashion and honor the name Balenciaga. I loved your article on it, as always you nailed it! And thank you for the mention!
On another note I also love walking, though envy you your companion! ❤️