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While fresh talent at Dior and Chanel created major attention during the ongoing Paris fashion week, it was the debut from Balenciaga that utterly dominated the media spotlight. The presentation featured a surprise appearance: Meghan Markle, making her first European appearance in a three-year period.

That Saturday night in Paris, the razzle-dazzle of other major houses – and even the notable attendee – were all outshone with the sheer impact of the Balenciaga presentation.

The Duchess delivered an extra layer of razzle-dazzle to the Parisian runway.

Prior to the event, the general mood surrounding the designer's first show had been relatively serene. The fashion house is a highly respected name, and the creative force is widely recognized as a top-tier talent. Moreover, he is admired for his status as the nicest man in fashion. Many assumed that extravagant catwalk stunts had left the Balenciaga building with the move of Demna, known for his bold style to a competing brand. Yet, sometimes the most gentle individuals pull off unexpected moves, and the presence of a duchess dramatically heightened the media frenzy.

The designer considers himself an design visionary, crafting forms that do not contact the human form.

Notably, the central theme of Piccioli’s “manifesto”, as he described it backstage, was the empowerment of women. His starting point was the revolutionary 1957 design by Balenciaga, a outline that maintains distance from the body, not highlighting nor limiting a woman’s curves. According to Piccioli that this style was a radical expression of a shifting zeitgeist that was beginning to move 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 weight of clothes that sit on their body and define them by their shape. The sack dress allowed women to be free in space.”

The brand's legendary shapes were included in the presentation, such as this enveloping coat.

Garments that maintain their own shape are at the heart of the Balenciaga's philosophy. The designer likened this creative process to being an structural designer: building forms that do not touch the body, while constantly considering the individuals who will wear and move in them. “Cristóbal Balenciaga was fascinated by the human form and with fabric, and with a third element – the gap separating them.”

First onto the catwalk was a fresh take of the iconic dress, elongated to an ankle-skimming hem, paired with opera gloves – but also with oversized sunglasses that served as a clear homage to the futuristic edge of Balenciaga’s Demna era.

He, who at his current age sports ornamental accessories and exudes an air of hippie-ish serenity, is not interested in seeing design as a personal rivalry. He argues that it is “cooler” for fashion artists to appreciate each other’s skills. Piccioli mentioned that he was seeking a “reconciliation” between the couture roots of the brand, and its more contemporary urban phase. Balenciaga’s most iconic silhouettes were included in the collection: a structured coat, this time in a vibrant poison green, and a trapeze dress in a powerful violet tone.

The phenomenon of effortless French fashion has become a modern money-spinner. This creative talent is an American man, but he speaks this fashion language fluently. Rider collaborated closely with Phoebe Philo during her time leading the brand, and then devoted a half-decade developing the classic label into a symbol of approachable fashion. Currently leading Céline, he is introducing the democratic approach of his previous work to French fashion. So there were classic outerwear, woven bags, and luxury fabrics used as accents – all the motifs of the local style – executed in bright hues, with an positive transatlantic vibe. “Céline isn’t a mean brand, or a brand that wants to exclude people,” the designer explained post-presentation. My desire is that everyone feels desirable in the brand. By choosing these pieces, you may not have the wildest design, but you have the perfect garment, and you have the attitude to wear it.”