Longtime designer and creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli revolutionized the House of Valentino for over two decades

After a 25-year-long partnership with Valentino, Italian fashion designer Pierpaolo Piccioli has confirmed that he will be stepping down as the couture brand’s creative director on March 22.

Three days after Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten announced his departure from his namesake label, Piccioli followed with his own through his official Instagram page, where he expressed gratitude for the experiences garnered with the brand.

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“I have been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years, I have existed and lived together with the people who have woven with me the plots of this beautiful story that is mine and ours,” Piccioli wrote in his letter.

“Everything existed and exists because of the people I met, worked with, shared dreams, and created beauty with,” he continued.

Former co-creative directors Piccioli and Chiuri at the Valentino Fall Couture show in 2016 | Photo from Penske Media

Piccioli started at Valentino in 1999, working alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri as an accessory designer. After house founder Valentino Garavani’s retirement in 2008, Piccioli and Chiuri began their term as co-creative directors.

“I’ve been in this company for 25 years, and for 25 years I’ve existed and lived together with the people who have woven with me the plots of this beautiful story that is mine and ours.”

The two would spearhead the label until Chiuri’s departure in 2016 for Christian Dior, marking the start of Piccioli’s work as sole creative director.

He would go on to revolutionize Valentino by fusing the label’s rich style heritage with modern silhouettes, as seen in his most recent Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear Collection, which featured a diverse range of all-black ensembles.

Pierpaolo Piccioli and the Valentino team — Photo by Mark Piasecki for Getty Images

Piccioli is also known for fostering a sense of community within the brand, often expressing his gratitude for the hard work of his team members and inviting them to join him on the runway after shows.

The former creative director ended his letter optimistically, stating that he felt “young and free” and “full of dreams” despite the end of his journey with Valentino.

On the other hand, the label has yet to name Piccioli’s successor but has confirmed that it will be making the announcement soon.