The reign of Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga has arrived, ushering in a new era with an inaugural campaign by photographer David Sims—and a newer, softer insouciance on full display.
At the heart of this story are two bags: Le City, a defining silhouette of Balenciaga in the 21st century (introduced in 2001 by women’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière), and the Rodeo, a relative newcomer that arrived with the Maison’s Los Angeles-tinged Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
Le City embodies louche revolution. Combining pillowy leather with a clatter of zippers and hardware, the bag is favored by the kind of jet-set women and off-duty models who toss their lip gloss, phones, and loose credit cards inside as they breeze from shoot to dinner to drinks. It’s for the city dwellers who make it all look easy.
Meanwhile, the Rodeo (pronounced like the famed LA drive) is a riff on the classic briefcase. In the place of hard metal snaps, you’ll find simple hardware and accordion pockets. The minimal style is part of the point, but the Rodeo is also meant to be a customizable canvas. Wear the style clean, or accessorize it with a pile of charms or a tied scarf.
Shot in Hôtel de Maisons—Pozzo di Borgo in Paris, the new Balenciaga campaign catches models Mona Tougaard and Sandra Murray in rumpled, sunlit beds and comfy shirts like they’ve only just arrived from a Sunday walk-about. The message is clear: strong doesn’t always mean tough, and a Balenciaga woman isn’t afraid to keep things soft.
Le City and the Rodeo are available at Balenciaga Bal Harbor Shops, 9700 Collins Ave Miami, FL 33154.
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