Pierpaolo Piccioli
Outgoing Creative Director, Valentino
After eight years sharing his role with Maria Grazia Chiuri, he took up the mantle as the Italian maison’s sole creative director.
With his long-time creative partner Maria Grazia Chiuri , Pierpaolo Piccioli oversaw Valentino’s creative direction for eight years, during which time they modernised its couture DNA to fit the contemporary consumer and boosted annual revenue to $1 billion in 2015. As of July 2016, Chiuri decamped to Dior and Piccioli became Valentino’s sole creative director.
An alumnus of Rome’s Istituto Europeo di Design , Piccioli first met Chiuri through a mutual friend in the early 1980s. In 1989, he began working alongside her in Fendi’s accessories department, marking the beginning of a two-decade creative partnership.
In 1999, the pair moved to Valentino as accessory designers. They revamped the luxury brand’s handbag and eyewear collections, were put in charge of designing the brand's diffusion line Red Valentino in 2003, and later oversaw its entire accessories range. Then, shortly after Valentino Garavani ’s retirement in 2008, and following Alessandra Facchinetti 's year-long tenure as creative director, Chiuri and Piccioli were appointed co-creative directors.
Though still a red carpet favourite, Valentino was struggling to reclaim the international cachet it once had. Chiuri and Piccioli pushed Valentino back to the forefront of fashion, breathing new creative energy into the brand, revitalising its menswear business and growing its accessories division with blockbuster styles like the Rockstud. In 2015, Chiuri and Piccioli received the CFDA International Award. In July 2016, when Chiuri was appointed artistic director of Dior, Piccioli became Valentino’s sole creative director. Since heading up the fashion house solo the brand has seen large success — his Autumn/Winter 2018 haute couture for the house received a standing ovation.
In 2024, Valentino announced that Piccioli was to exit his role as creative director at the luxury brand after 25 years.
VITAL STATISTICS
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExploreWhat is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
ExplorePierpaolo Piccioli Is Exiting Valentino
A new creative configuration will be announced soon, the Roman couture house said.
How Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli Harnesses the Power of Colour
The designer has made deft experimentation with colour a hallmark of his aesthetic at the Roman house. Previously known for its signature red, Valentino has expanded its palette under Piccioli — from blistering magenta to dusty electric blues — turning the use of colour into a powerful brand signifier in the process.
How Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli Harnesses the Power of Colour
The designer has made deft experimentation with colour a hallmark of his aesthetic at the Roman house. Previously known for its signature red, Valentino has expanded its palette under Piccioli — from blistering magenta to dusty electric blues — turning the use of colour into a powerful brand signifier in the process.
In Paris, Global Fashion Community Fetes The BoF 500 Class of 2023
Members of the industry index including Pierpaolo Piccioli and Francesca Bellettini connected over cocktails and canapes in Paris, celebrating new entrants including Pharrell Williams, Karol G and Sabato De Sarno.
Luxury Slowdown? Not So Fast
Momentum in China and tourist spend in Europe enabled the sector to continue growing in Q2, while Kering’s surprise acquisition of a 30 percent stake in Valentino suggests there is more consolidation to come, writes Imran Amed.
With Gucci Stalled, Kering Enters Deal for Valentino
The French group has the option to acquire 100 percent of the Italian label within five years. Kering chairman François-Henri Pinault described the deal as a ‘first step’ in a broader partnership with Qatari investment fund Mayhoola.
Paris Couture Week: All or Nothing
Couture Week was a polarised affair, opposing restraint and excess, technique and showmanship, real clothes and wild storytelling, with little in between, writes Angelo Flaccavento.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, Grace Wales Bonner, Bella Hadid and Burberry Among 2022 Fashion Award Winners
The star-studded annual ceremony recognised a mix of established talent and rising stars, while also paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In Rome, Valentino Looks to Past and Present
The Italian brand staged a couture spectacular on the Spanish Steps that proved to be as much a collection of Pierpaolo Piccioli tropes as a ‘dialogue’ with founder Valentino Garavani.
Fashion Is Fishing for New Dimensions
We expect extraordinary craft from Valentino, Schiaparelli and Sacai. The real challenge is making an emotional connection.
In Paris, Couture’s Return to Clothes Making
Haute couture, once the realm of unbridled dreams, is getting back to making clothes, reports Angelo Flaccavento.