It’s been a wild week for big fashion news no one saw coming, with Dries Van Noten departing his namesake label, and now the announcement that Pierpaolo Piccioli is stepping away from his role as creative director of Valentino after 25 years working at the house. 

The designer, who headed up Valentino alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri until 2015 when she skipped off to Dior in 2015, released a lengthy statement in which he referred to his stint with the company as a story ‘without a beginning or an end’ – ”Some live a kind of eternal present that shines so bright that it won’t produce any shadows,” he said.

“Everything existed and exists thanks to the people I met, with whom I worked, with whom I shared dreams and created beauty, with whom I built something that belongs to all, and that remains immutable and tangible. This heritage of love, dreams, beauty, and humanity. I carry it with me, today and forever.”

Under Piccioli’s guidance, Valentino drew in a new generation of fashion fans, with the designer renowned for his love of wider culture – from music and cinema to literature and beyond. Across his time at the helm, Piccioli forged close ties with artists like FKA twigs, who performed at two Valentino shows, as well as Erykah Badu, who crafted the soundtrack for his SS23 show.

In a sea of male designers who project their own fantasies onto women, Piccioli was also committed to understanding and accommodating his customers in what they actually wanted to wear. After a series of models tripped and tumbled down the runway in the shoes they were given to wear for SS23, at his landmark destination show in Rome – for which the house shut down the famed Spanish Steps – the designer gave his cast the option of wearing heels, flats, or going barefoot. 

“Thanks to Mr. Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti who have blessed me with their trust, thanks to every single person who made this possible in one way or another,” the designer’s statement finished. “It was a privilege and an honour to share my journey, and my dreams, with you.”

According to the house, a new creative director will be announced soon. Stay tuned.