Big surprise in the fashion world: Maison Valentino and Pierpaolo Piccioli have announced the end of their collaboration. The creative director, 56 years old, at the helm of the fashion house since 2008, first together with Maria Grazia Chiuri and then alone since 2016, takes his leave with a message in which he pays homage to all the people “that I have known, with whom I have worked, with 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”. His figure also seemed immutable, so firmly anchored to the role of leadership of the Maison to which he imprinted a vision that will certainly be remembered as a very important chapter for the company. “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”, declares Piccioli. “I carry this heritage of love, dreams, beauty and humanity with me, today and forever”.
The designer Pierpaolo Piccioli during the Valentino Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2019 2020 fashion show
Beloved for his spectacular couture, Piccioli managed to remain faithful to the legacy of Valentino Garavani while creating a more inclusive and diverse fashion. “I am grateful to Pierpaolo for his role as Creative Director and for his vision, commitment and creativity which have brought the Maison Valentino to what it represents today” commented Jacopo Venturini, CEO Valentino. “We extend our deepest thanks to Pierpaolo for having written an important chapter in the history of the Maison Valentino. His contribution over the last 25 years will leave an indelible mark,” says Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Chairman of Valentino.
25 years of Valentino: the career of Pierpaolo Piccioli
It was 1999 when Valentino Garavani hired Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri (who already worked together at Fendi) to bring a breath of freshness and novelty to the Maison’s line of accessories. The two were promoted to creative directors of the division following the turnover that affected the fashion house following the retirement of its founder in 2007: it was Alessandra Facchinetti who succeeded him as regards ready-to-wear, but the duo composed of Piccioli and Chiuri took over only a year later.
The designer Pierpaolo Piccioli during the Valentino Autumn/Winter 2024-2025 fashion show
From 2008 to 2016 the couple led the Maison together until Chiuri left to run Dior. Pierpaolo Piccioli at that point took the stylistic reins of the company, directing its trajectory towards a future made up of different values, as evidenced by the acronym Thank you (different values) dear to him. A choice that is reflected in his creations, but also in the testimonials chosen over the years, who embody ideals of diversity, inclusion, authenticity, such as the Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, the Korean pop star Suga, or Adut Akech, the chosen Sudanese model, in defiance of stereotypes, for the fragrance campaign Born in Roma.
Father of PP Pink, the shade of pink that has become a Pantone color that all celebrities have worn in recent years, from Zendaya to Florence Pugh, his muses, passing through Glenn Close, Drew Barrymore, Lizzo, Gillian Anderson, Sharon Stone (just to name a few), Pierpaolo Piccioli has created a real imaginary which will be difficult to replace with a new one. Too early to speculate on who will be his successor, but according to WWD, which gave the news in preview, it could be Alessandro Michele, whose fate is keeping the entire fashion world on tenterhooks, or his ex-vice Maria Grazia Chiuri. “A new creative organization for the Maison will be announced soon,” the maison says in the meantime.