Pierpaolo Piccioli Is Leaving Valentino
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images
Pierpaolo Piccioli is leaving Valentino, the luxury fashion house he's worked at for more than 20 years.
On Instagram, the designer shared a lengthy message in Italian:
"Not all stories have a beginning and an end, some live a kind of eternal present that shines with an intense light, so strong that it leaves no shadows. I have been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years I have existed and lived together with the people who with me have woven the threads of this beautiful story that is mine and ours. Everything existed and exists thanks to the people I have met, with whom I have worked, with whom I have shared dreams and created beauty, with whom I have built something that belongs to everyone, and which remains immutable and tangible. I carry this heritage of love, dreams, beauty and humanity with me, today and forever."
He also thanked Valentino Garavani, Giancarlo Giammetti and his team, writing, "It has been a privilege and an honor to share my journey, and my dreams, with you."
Piccioli joined Valentino in 1999 with Maria Grazia Chiuri, his former collaborator, after almost a decade of designing accessories at Fendi. "I was happy that I arrived there when I was all grown up," Piccioli told Vogue of joining Valentino. "Until I was 30, I thought that fashion was a very nice place. At Valentino, I finally understood the system of fashion. Valentino was formal — very, very formal. There was a ritual, and I liked that."
Once there, the duo garnered attention for their work on bags and eyewear at the brand, specifically, and were eventually handed over leadership of Red Valentino in 2003. In 2009, they succeeded Alessandra Facchinetti as co-creative directors of Valentino. During their time collaborating, Chiuri and Piccioli did have plenty of hits (the Rockstud range was inescapable in the early 2010s), as well as some misses — most notably, accusations of cultural appropriation. Chiuri left in 2016, to take over Dior.
Since he assumed creative direction of the house solo, Piccioli and Valentino have received great acclaim. His couture creations have become a red-carpet favorite, and he was instrumental in the Barbiecore takeover of fashion with his Pink PP. He's been a Time 100 honoree, covered Business of Fashion's BoF 500 issue and won a Fashion Award for Designer of the Year.
"I never imagined I'd have all of this in my life," he told InStyle in 2020. "I grew up by the seaside, far from fashion, cinema, red carpets, shows in Paris, everything. So to be here every day is something I appreciate as a gift of life. I could say that there's a pressure to do multiple shows, men’s and couture. But I don't feel that pressure. When I have problems, I face them like everybody else."
Piccioli's most recent collection for the house, for Fall 2024, was entirely black — a departure from his usual punchy, colorful approach, but also perhaps a solemn goodbye to the position he's occupied for 25 years.
In a statement, Valentino Chief Executive Officer Jacopo Venturini said: "I am grateful to Pierpaolo for his role as creative director and for his vision, commitment and creativity that have brought the Maison Valentino to what it stands for today."
Chairman Rachid Mohamed Rachid added: "“We extend our deepest gratitude to Pierpaolo for writing an important chapter in the history of the Maison Valentino. His contribution over the past 25 years will leave an indelible mark."
No successor has been named. A press release announcing Piccioli's departure said: "A new creative organization for the Maison will be announced soon."
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