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While recent appointments at Dior and Chanel have generated major attention during the current Paris fashion week, it was the debut from the fashion house that completely stole the media spotlight. The event featured a surprise appearance: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, making her initial European outing in a trio of years.

During the Saturday evening in the French capital, the spectacle of other major houses – plus another high-profile guest – were all outshone with the sheer impact of the Balenciaga show.

Meghan added an extra layer of glamour and excitement to the Parisian runway.

Before this development, the overall atmosphere surrounding the designer's first show had been quite calm. Balenciaga is a venerated institution, and the designer is universally praised as a top-tier talent. Furthermore, he is cherished for his status as the nicest man in fashion. It was widely believed that provocative runway antics had departed the house of Balenciaga with the move of provocateur designer Demna to a competing brand. However, occasionally the kindest people can deliver surprises, and the royal benediction greatly increased the overall excitement.

He considers himself an master builder, crafting forms that avoid direct contact with the wearer's physique.

Intriguingly, the central theme of Piccioli’s “manifesto”, as he explained it backstage, was female emancipation. His starting point was Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1957 sack dress, a shape that stands away from the body, not highlighting nor constricting a natural body shape. He stated that this design was a bold statement of a shifting zeitgeist that was shifting away from the conservative norms of the 1950s towards the liberation of the 1960s. The idea centered on advancement for females. It liberated women from the burden of garments that sit on their body and define them by their shape. The sack dress gave women the chance to exist unencumbered.”

Balenciaga’s most iconic silhouettes made an appearance in the runway, such as this structured outerwear.

Clothes that hold their form are at the heart of the the brand's ethos. The designer equated this creative process to being an structural designer: creating structures that never make contact with the body, while always thinking about the people who will inhabit and move within them. “Cristóbal Balenciaga was obsessed with the body and with fabric, and with a third element – the space in between.”

Leading the presentation was a contemporary update of the loose-fitting garment, elongated to an ankle-skimming hem, paired with elegant gloves – but also with oversized sunglasses that served as a direct nod to the bold aesthetic of Balenciaga’s Demna era.

Piccioli, who at fifty-eight wears beaded necklaces and projects an peaceful, free-spirited demeanor, is not interested in seeing fashion as an ego battle. He argues that it is “cooler” for fashion artists to respect each other’s abilities. The creative director expressed that he was aiming for a successful fusion between the couture roots of the brand, and its more recent streetwear era. Balenciaga’s most iconic silhouettes were prominently featured in the presentation: a ‘cocoon’ coat, this time in a vibrant poison green, and a flared dress in a powerful violet tone.

The archetype of French-girl chic has become a modern money-spinner. This creative talent is an American man, but he masters this style code. The designer collaborated closely with a fashion icon during her tenure at the house, and then worked for several years building the classic label into a flagship for accessible taste. Currently leading Céline, he is bringing the inclusive spirit of his previous work to the local aesthetic. He presented classic outerwear, straw baskets, and silk scarves draped on handbags – the signature details of Parisian elegance – executed in cheerful tones, with an positive transatlantic vibe. This is not an exclusive label, or a brand that wants to exclude people,” the designer explained following the event. My desire is that everyone feels desirable in Celine. When you wear this brand, you may not have the wildest design, but you have the best coat, and you have the confidence to wear it.”