Pierpaolo Piccioli is leaving his role as Creative Director at Valentino after 8 years, leading to the cancelling of their men’s shows in Paris Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week.
Piccioli has worked for Valentino for 25 years, starting in 1999 as an accessory designer. After Valentino Garavani retired in 2009, he was promoted to co-designer with Maria Grazia, who left the company in 2016, leaving Piccioli the sole director. Piccioli shared a heartfelt message on Instagram in a post where he thanked everyone he had worked with in Valentino during his time there. It is understood that his decision to leave was one mutually decided with the company, who want to take Valentino in a new creative direction. The decision was fuelled by the lack of another hyped-up show like Piccioli’s 2016 spring Haute Couture collection, which received a standing ovation.
Valentino has featured in Paris Fashion Week since 1975, when Valentino himself staged a ready-to-wear fashion show. It is weird to think of Paris Fashion Week without Valentino, and the menswear shows will be missed, as well as the Haute Couture shows. Valentino should be back next season though. Alessandro Michele will assume the role of Creative Director. He is the former Creative Director of Gucci.
