Balenciaga Cruise 2027 Proves Jazz Shoes—and City Bags—Are Here to Stay

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Next month, Pierpaolo Piccioli will make his much-anticipated couture debut for Balenciaga. If his latest collection is any indication, he has already begun laying the groundwork.

For the brand’s cruise 2027 offering, Piccioli went straight to the heart of the house’s couture pulse: its 10 Avenue George V atelier on the Right Bank of Paris. Captured by Robin Galiegue, the collection focuses on “unsized” clothing, with silhouettes “drawn around the body” and adjusted through ribbons and ties.

The technique, which yielded creations such as a poplin shirt manipulated with drawstrings, turned the form into something fluid and transformable—a hallmark of Piccioli’s work and that of Cristóbal Balenciaga before him.

To further the high-low dialogue, couture elements were balanced with those of the everyday—like a pink high-low ball skirt styled with a boxy T-shirt and jazz shoes, worn by Anok Yai. Or a crisp white Oxford shirt with a gold arm cuff bonded onto leather, shown alongside a textured maxi skirt over loose-fitting dress trousers. If anyone can make the 2000s dress-over-pants trend work again, it’s Piccioli.

A plissé jersey gown, theoretically wearable on its own as an evening dress, got a casual twist with blue jeans featuring a distressed hem. Burnt orange corduroys were dressed up with a sleeveless “going-out” top rendered in the same feathered technique, but the look never felt overly precious. That was likely due to its accessory companion: an aquamarine washed-leather City bag.

Accessories also helped ground the collection in the present. Alongside the City, Piccioli’s ascendant Rodeo bag continued to have a starring role, this time imagined in rich tones with “techno taffeta” linings. Malleable shoes in soft mint green and metallic silver leaned into the pared-back vision, while jewelry—studded ear cuffs, chain-drop earrings, and herringbone necklaces—was piled on with elegance.

Ever the showman, Piccioli showcased the Balenciaga savoir faire with pieces like embroidered suiting and leather topcoats with exaggerated stand collars, all ideas he’s sure to build upon come July.

Piccioli’s Balenciaga couture debut is sure to be closely watched during the Paris shows next month. If his latest offering is anything to go by, expectations are well-founded.

Matthew Velasco is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. Based in New York City, he previously worked as a News Writer at W magazine and an Assistant Editor at V magazine. Outside of fashion, he enjoys interior design, tennis (both watching and playing), and a jam-packed antique store.