Pierpaolo Piccioli Exits Valentino After 25 Years
After a major announcement earlier this week that Dries Van Noten is stepping down from the helm of his namesake brand, there is yet another shakeup in the fashion world. Pierpaolo Piccioli is stepping down at Valentino, after a 25 year tenure.
"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," the designer wrote on Instagram. "I have been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years I have existed and lived together with the people who have woven me with plots of this beautiful story that is mine and ours... After all, this is beauty, it's life, hope, opportunity, and gratitude, it's my people, my heart, it's love that vies you all the possibilities in the world, especially those you could not imagine."
Piccioli first entered the world of Valentino in 1999 as an accessories designer alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri. After Valentino Garavani's retirement in 2008 and Alessandra Facchinetti's year-long tenure as creative director, Chiuri and Piccioli were appointed co-creative directors. Piccioli became the brand's sole creative director in 2016 after Chiuri left for Dior. He has held that post ever since.
Piccioli and Chiuri's appointment came with heavy weight. Not only was there a need to uphold the legacy of Valentino (Garavani was a favorite among women like Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, and Elizabeth Taylor), but the brand, at the time, needed to reclaim its status internationally. To help, the two gave their menswear business a stronger push and gave their accessories a signature that is well-known today: the rock stud.
Along with modernizing the brand's silhouettes, being an early purveyor of men's couture, and including a youthful international set in his brand, Piccioli had a knack for focusing on community. His shows heavily credited his team and often invited them to take the final bow at shows.
Piccioli's impact on the brand will be long-lasting. As for his next move? Many wait with bated breath. But, the designer's conversation with his daughter, Stella, might give us a clue that he is in no rush to decide. "Stella was two years old when she came to see my first fashion show, she's about to turn 18 and the other night she asked me: 'How do you feel?'" The designer replied: "Young and free."
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