Friends of the House Gather in Paris as Pierpaolo Piccioli Unveils his first Balenciaga Fall 2026 couture show at Cité Internationale

A couture debut at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris On July 8 2026, during Haute Couture Week, Pierpaolo Piccioli presented his first Fall 2026 Couture collection for Balenciaga at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, a leafy campus complex in the city’s 14th arrondissement.

The venue, surrounded by gardens and designed hedges, provided a quiet, contemplative backdrop that underscored the collection’s emphasis on elegance and craft.

Piccioli’s appointment at Balenciaga was announced in May 2025, following his long tenure at Valentino, and his couture debut for the Kering owned house has been widely described as the start of a “new creative era built on craftsmanship, elegance, and a return to romantic couture.” Friends of the House in the front row To mark the occasion, Balenciaga welcomed an extended community of friends of the House and brand ambassadors.

Coverage notes the presence of Rachel Sennott, Teyana Taylor, Isabelle Huppert, PP Krit, Juyeon, and other high profile guests, many of whom have appeared in previous Balenciaga campaigns and at events like the Met Gala. Some of these guests wore custom Balenciaga couture for the show, with sources…