While fashion month may be over, the industry news cycle is far from quiet. In the last few weeks we’ve seen the second highly anticipated drop of Phoebe Philo’s buzzy namesake collection and heard word of Dries Van Noten’s impending exit from the beloved house he founded.
Now, on this seemingly quiet Friday morning, Valentino has announced that creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli will be leaving his post at the historic Italian house.
“Not all stories have a beginning or an end, some live a kind of eternal present that shines so bright that it won’t produce any shadows,” Piccioli, who has worked with the label in some capacity since 1999, said in an official statement for the brand on WWD.
“I’ve been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years I’ve existed and I’ve lived with the people who have woven the weaves of this beautiful story that is mine and ours.”
Although Piccioli began his career at Valentino in the accessories department, he and his colleague Maria Grazia Chiuri were promoted to co-creative directors in 2008. When Chiuri left to run Dior six years later, Piccioli stepped in as the lead designer; the Spring 2017 show marked his first solo show.
Since, he’s become know for his take-no-prisoners use of bold hues (see: the official PP Pink Pantone shade) and strong statement silhouettes. Interestingly enough, his most recent collection was perhaps his first to be devoid of color: Rendered in all black, the pieces stand out for their striking shapes and interesting textures.
He is known for dressing strong women with a distinct sense of style — Rihanna, Florence Pugh, and Suki Waterhouse have all worn his pieces on the red carpet — and focusing his collections around innovative themes rather than passing trends.
