Bruno Sialelli, who rose to prominence as creative director of Lanvin from 2019 to 2023, has recently joined Balenciaga’s couture studio, according to industry sources. His exact role and start date have not yet been disclosed, and the news remains unconfirmed at this time: when contacted by WWD on Friday, Balenciaga stated that the house does not comment on the composition of its creative studio. Sialelli, meanwhile, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, who was appointed creative director of Balenciaga last July, will present his first haute couture collection on July 8 during Paris Couture Week, following a preview of his vision for the brand during the SS26 season. The debut is among the most anticipated of the week, as Piccioli has deep ties to the world of couture, backed by years of experience and international recognition gained at Valentino in Rome. Balenciaga revived its couture division in 2021 under the direction of then-Creative Director Demna, more than fifty years after Cristóbal Balenciaga—whom Christian Dior called “the master of us all”—closed the historic couture house.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sialelli most recently served as head of ready-to-wear design at Phoebe Philo in London. In a curious coincidence, his career path mirrors that of Peter Copping, Lanvin’s current creative director, who in turn was part of Balenciaga’s couture studio after leading houses such as Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta. A 2010 graduate of the French fashion school Studio Berçot, Sialelli began his career as an assistant fashion designer, a role he held until 2014, when he joined Acne Studios as a senior womenswear designer. His resume also includes stints at Paco Rabanne and Loewe, where he served as head of menswear. Lanvin and Balenciaga are among the many European fashion houses that welcomed new creative leaders last year, in a passing of the torch that reflects the wave of change sought by the general public and the market.
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