After 25 years of dedication, Pierpaolo Piccioli steps down from the Valentino dynasty

After an illustrious era spanning 8 years, with 25 years of devoted contribution, constituting a quarter of his lifetime “living” at Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli brings it all to an end himself, welcoming a new creative leadership.

In just a week, the fashion world has witnessed two poignant farewells of two legendary designers from two renowned creative dynasties they were leading. Dries Van Noten departs from his eponymous brand, relinquishing the creative directorship after 38 glorious years. Following suit, last Friday (per Vietnam time), Pierpaolo Piccioli – the creative director of Valentino for 8 long years – officially announced the conclusion of his vibrant era at the Italian fashion house. Amidst a series of successive farewells of longstanding creative directors with renowned fashion houses, perhaps the fashion landscape is on the verge of a transition, poised to step into a new era under the leadership of young “kings”.

“25 years of living and working at Valentino, and in those 25 years, I’ve shared with faithful, talented artisans in weaving the beautiful story of myself and ours,” Pierpaolo Piccioli expressed in his farewell letter. Piccioli joined the Italian fashion house in 1999 as an accessory designer alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri. This duo was appointed as co-creative directors in 2008, succeeding Alessandra Facchinetti, who assumed this role a year earlier after the retirement of Valentino Garavani, the founder.

Since 2016, Piccioli officially assumed the sole role of creative director of Valentino, after his longtime companion, Maria Grazia Chiuri, officially left the house to join Dior and assume the highest position at the brand.

During their tenure, this dynamic duo stormed the Valentino runways, with many often thinking that the romantic beauty difficult to articulate in the design language at the Italian house came from Chiuri’s refined aesthetic sensibility, combined with Piccioli’s sharpness and edginess. However, as the two went their separate ways, the fashion world realized that Piccioli himself was even more visionary. Throughout his tenure at Valentino, Piccioli remained faithful to the heritage left by the founder – Valentino Garavani’s elegant luxury, while ushering the brand into a new era. Through a series of shows, Piccioli was widely recognized as the one who revived the Italian fashion house from the brink, redefining Valentino to be even more radiant than its glamorous past.

Attending Piccioli’s shows, one would have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a dark yet poetic world. It is the realm of romantic, dreamy “painters” who bring forth magnificent paintings with unexpected color palettes and exquisite, intricate lines, adorned with feather hats swaying like jellyfish in the wind. Not only did Piccioli dazzle the fashion world with impeccable tailoring craftsmanship, but he also expanded the brand’s identity through various marketing approaches. The former creative director focused on inclusivity, diversifying Valentino, evident in the emergence of a new brand ambassador group. Race car driver Lewis Hamilton became the first ambassador for Valentino Menswear, while model Adut Akech represented Valentino Beauty.

Moreover, Piccioli’s runways also featured a diverse array of models of all ages, ethnicities, and sizes. At the Fall/Winter 2022 couture show held on the Spanish Steps in Rome, model Alaato Jazyper from South Sudan was the opening face. “I really want those models to be a symbol of the great changes in society, people who 30 years ago might not have been allowed to walk the runway,” he shared with W Magazine in 2022. “Valentino Couture Fall 2022 had men in feminine dresses and over 40 models of color. In Rome, such an iconic city of Italy, that show was like a resistance to the wave of bias and homophobia. It’s very classic, very haute couture, with pleats and bows, very much Valentino’s design DNA; but actually, it’s a rebuttal against traditional beauty standards, against all the conventions of conservatism.” Indeed, under his reign at Valentino, Piccioli created sophisticated, feminine, alluring women in billowing dresses, embellished with exquisite cuts, yet also sharp, modern in jeans paired with a white shirt, and possessed a spirit daring to confront all the society’s outdated prejudices.

Pierpaolo Piccioli also knew how to make Valentino’s longstanding heritage more accessible to the younger generation through distinctive colors. In 2022, Piccioli created a hot pink leading trend, called “Pink PP” after himself. In his latest RTW collection, the talented former creative director made mysterious black become more enchanting and gentle than ever. All these were effective marketing methods. Since then, Valentino has become a talked-about name in the fashion world. The masterpieces of the Italian fashion house have become ideal inspirations for the red carpet wardrobes of numerous celebrities. Under the designer’s leadership, Valentino has become a billion-dollar brand, perhaps thanks to Piccioli’s focus on the ever-growing streetwear fashion lineup.

In addition to boosting revenue for Valentino, Piccioli never forgot to fully exploit the brand’s characteristic exquisite tailoring techniques, showcased in a series of magnificent couture collections. “For me, haute couture fashion is a more powerful tool to speak about what I believe, what I represent. Pure couture is a process, is an approach. So when you attract attention with haute couture, it can have a bigger impact than other means of expression.” And while many designers happily take sole credit for their artistic creations, Piccioli always honors the skilled hands of the artisans behind them, by bringing them onto the runway at the end of each show.

“Thank you to Mr. Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti (co-founder), who blessed me with their trust, thanks to everyone who has turned my dream into reality in one way or another. It’s truly an honor and privilege to share my journey and dreams with you all,” Piccioli concluded his heartfelt farewell letter. Valentino co-founder Giancarlo Giammetti also thanked the designer on his personal Instagram account: “Thank you PP, for over 20 years together, and I hope your path will continue with your head held high, success awaits you as you deserve it.”

Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini shared, “I am grateful to Pierpaolo for his role as creative director as well as his vision, commitment, and creativity that have brought the Valentino brand to where it is today.” Valentino Chairman Rachid Mohamed Rachid added, “We express our deepest gratitude to Pierpaolo Piccioli for writing an important chapter in Valentino’s history. His contribution over the past 25 years will leave an indelible mark.”

Rumors of the departure between Piccioli and Valentino began circulating since September. News of Piccioli’s departure led to speculation surrounding a series of upheavals within the parent company. Valentino was acquired for about 700 million euros in 2012 by Mayhoola, an investment fund backed by the Qatari royal family, which also owns the French fashion house Balmain.