The Creative Director Advocates Women's Liberation with Relaxed Runway Show.

Although fresh talent at Chanel and Dior sparked major attention during the current Paris fashion week, it was the inaugural presentation from the iconic brand that completely stole the media spotlight. The show featured a unexpected guest: Meghan Markle, making her return to the European scene in three years.

On Saturday night in Paris, the spectacle of Chanel, Dior – along with another high-profile guest – were all outshone with the overwhelming presence of the Balenciaga event.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex delivered an extra layer of star power to Balenciaga’s Paris show.

Prior to the event, the prevailing sentiment surrounding the designer's first show had been quite calm. The fashion house is a highly respected name, and Piccioli is globally acclaimed as a world-leading designer. Additionally, he is cherished for his reputation as the kindest personality in the business. Many assumed that dramatic fashion statements had departed the house of Balenciaga with the move of provocateur designer Demna to Gucci. However, sometimes the most gentle individuals can deliver surprises, and the royal benediction dramatically heightened the level of hoopla.

He sees himself as an architect, building forms that avoid direct contact with the wearer's physique.

Intriguingly, the main idea of the collection's guiding philosophy, as he described it behind the scenes, was the empowerment of women. His primary reference was Cristóbal Balenciaga’s 1957 sack dress, a shape that sits proud of the body, avoiding emphasis on nor constricting a natural body shape. He stated that this design was a radical expression of a shifting zeitgeist that was beginning to move from the post-war traditionalism towards the liberation of the 1960s. “It was about progress for women. It released women from the constraints of clothing that emphasize the physical form and define them by their shape. That garment enabled women to move freely.”

The brand's legendary shapes made an appearance in the runway, such as this structured outerwear.

Clothes that hold their form are central to the Balenciaga's philosophy. Piccioli compared this creative process to being an structural designer: creating structures that avoid direct interaction with the body, while constantly considering the individuals who will wear and move in them. “Cristóbal Balenciaga was fascinated by the body and with materials, and with a key factor – the gap separating them.”

Leading the presentation was a modern reinterpretation of the loose-fitting garment, elongated to an floor-grazing length, accompanied by opera gloves – but also with distinctive eyewear that served as a obvious reference to the futuristic edge of the brand's recent past.

Piccioli, who at 58 adorns himself with strings of beads and charms and exudes an air of hippie-ish serenity, rejects the idea of seeing fashion as an ego battle. He argues that it is more admirable for fashion artists to respect each other’s skills. Piccioli noted that he was seeking a successful fusion between the couture roots of the house, and its more recent streetwear era. Classic designs from the house were showcased in the presentation: a voluminous outerwear piece, this time in a vibrant poison green, and a A-line dress in a powerful violet tone.

The archetype of Parisian style has become a modern money-spinner. Michael Rider is an transatlantic figure, but he masters this style code. Rider had a professional relationship with Phoebe Philo during her tenure at the house, and then spent six years building the classic label into a symbol of approachable fashion. Now back at Céline, he is introducing the democratic approach of his previous work to Parisian style. He presented timeless coats, natural accessories, and elegant scarves draped on handbags – all the motifs of Parisian elegance – presented in sunny colors, with an upbeat American tone. “Céline isn’t a mean brand, or a brand that wants to exclude people,” the designer explained following the event. The goal is for everyone feels desirable in these clothes. By choosing these pieces, you may not have the most outrageous item, but you have the finest outerwear, and you have the confidence to wear it.”