Former Lanvin Creative Director Bruno Sialelli Joins Balenciaga’s Couture Studio

Bruno Sialelli

Bruno Sialelli, the former creative director of Lanvin, has reportedly joined Balenciaga’s couture studio, according to industry sources.

While details regarding his official title and start date have not been disclosed, the move places Sialelli at one of luxury fashion’s most closely watched houses as Balenciaga prepares for a new creative chapter. The brand declined to comment on the composition of its design studio, and Sialelli has not publicly addressed the reports.

The appointment comes ahead of Pierpaolo Piccioli’s highly anticipated debut haute couture collection for Balenciaga, scheduled to be unveiled on July 8 during Paris Couture Week. Piccioli, who earned widespread acclaim during his tenure at Valentino, was named Balenciaga’s creative director last year and is expected to usher in a new era for the house.

Balenciaga revived its haute couture division in 2021 under former creative director Demna, marking the return of couture to the brand more than five decades after founder Cristóbal Balenciaga closed the original couture house. The legendary Spanish designer was once famously described by Christian Dior as “the master of us all.”

Prior to joining Balenciaga, Sialelli served as head of ready-to-wear design at Phoebe Philo’s London-based label. His arrival at the French fashion house mirrors a path previously taken by Lanvin’s current artistic director, Peter Copping, who also spent time working within Balenciaga’s couture studio earlier in his career.

A graduate of Studio Berçot in Paris, Sialelli began his fashion career as an assistant designer before joining Acne Studios as a senior womenswear designer in 2014. He later held design roles at Paco Rabanne and Loewe, where he led menswear design, before taking the creative helm at Lanvin from 2019 to 2023.

Sialelli’s reported move is the latest in a series of high-profile leadership changes across Europe’s luxury fashion industry, as major houses continue to reshape their creative teams amid an evolving fashion landscape.

Photo: Courtesy of Lanvin