Balenciaga has unveiled its first major collaboration under Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli, partnering with the National Basketball Association (NBA) for Fall 2026. The collection, which launched on Jan. 15, marks a strategic pivot toward refined sportswear as the luxury house navigates its post-Demna identity.
The partnership introduces leather varsity jackets, denim track pants, and color-blocked pieces in blacks, blues and reds that echo NBA signature hues. The Balenciaga collection also features shearling slides that are oversized to perfection, maintaining Balenciaga’s architectural proportions while signaling a softer aesthetic direction.
Piccioli’s collaborative vision takes shape
The NBA collaboration represents Piccioli’s first major partnership since joining Balenciaga in July as creative director, following a long tenure at Valentino. Unlike his predecessor’s partnerships with brands like Crocs, PlayStation and Yeezy Gap, Piccioli’s choice of the NBA and Manolo Blahnik suggest a more high-brow orientation.
“My world is for sure lighter, more human, more about persons and less about ‘characters,’” Piccioli told Business of Fashion. “It’s about building a language, building a path. It’s creating a community of people who share values through clothes.”
This approach marks a calculated departure from Demna’s provocative, culture-jamming collaborations. Where Demna used partnerships to generate viral moments and social commentary, Piccioli appears focused on product desirability and wearability.
The collaboration comes as Balenciaga recalibrates its market positioning. The house achieved exceptional growth under Demna, but Piccioli must now prove his vision can sustain commercial momentum while attracting new customers beyond the streetwear faithful.
The collection is presented on balenciaga.com worldwide as of Jan. 15, with campaigns capturing actors, artists, musicians and models on their daily commutes in Paris, reinforcing Piccioli’s focus on real people over characters.
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About Balenciaga, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Demna
Balenciaga, founded by Spanish couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1919, is owned by French luxury conglomerate Kering. Under Demna’s creative direction from 2015 to 2025, the house became known for subversive streetwear and viral collaborations, crossing the one billion euro revenue threshold.
Pierpaolo Piccioli joined Balenciaga as Creative Director in July, succeeding Demna who moved to Gucci. Piccioli spent most of his career at Valentino, serving as sole Creative Director from 2016 until his departure in March 2024. His debut Balenciaga collection for Spring 2026, presented in October, emphasized couture craftsmanship and architectural silhouettes inspired by Cristóbal Balenciaga’s archives
Demna (Demna Gvasalia) is a Georgian fashion designer who has redefined modern luxury. Born in Sokhumi in 1981, he fled during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict – an experience that shapes his subversive aesthetic. From 2015 to 2025, he led Balenciaga, transforming it into a billion-euro brand by merging couture with streetwear. In March 2025, he became Artistic Director of Gucci.
