Paris Fashion Week: Balenciaga’s bold hues, leather at Loewe, and ‘no nonsense’ Maison Margiela

Three of the season’s most awaited debuts took place this weekend at Paris Fashion Week. Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, previously of Valentino, unveiled his first collection for Balenciaga with a star-studded front row that included Meghan Markle and Anne Hathaway. American duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez presented their debut collection for Spanish brand Loewe, while Belgian designer Glenn Martens, who made his debut at Maison Margiela during the haute couture shows in July, presented his first ready-to-wear collection for the brand.

The 10 years that Demna spent at Balenciaga as creative director were pretty revolutionary. The Georgian designer transformed a brand associated with refinement, exclusivity and elegance into a household name, increasing its visibility and turning it into a pop culture phenomenon.

While Demna was often accused, perhaps unfairly, of turning Balenciaga into a streetwear label, he never actually shunned the legacy of founder Cristóbal Balenciaga, the legendary Spanish designer who founded the house in 1917. It’s just that his viral “stunts” always made headlines at the expense of his dressmaking chops. From collaborations with Los Angeles food emporium Erewhon and a Simpsons short during the coronavirus pandemic, to a tongue-in-cheek homage to the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the list goes on and on.

Earlier this year, Demna left Balenciaga for Gucci and was replaced by Pierpaolo Piccioli, who embraced a modern and inclusive form of beauty at the Italian house Valentino, a brand synonymous with elegance and polish.