Meghan Markle attended the Balenciaga runway show at Paris Fashion Week, and while she alluded to being invited by the creative director, he has now told a different story
Meghan Markle sparked headlines around the world with her dramatic, surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week for the Balenciaga show.
It was the first time the Duchess of Sussex had travelled to mainland Europe in two years, stepping out to support recently appointed designer Pierpaolo Piccioli as the brand’s creative director by attending his Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear show.
At the time of the show, a statement from Meghan’s spokesperson said the duchess was close to the designer, saying her presence was “the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship”. However, Piccioli has now instead referred to Meghan’s appearance at the show as a “beautiful surprise”.
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Discussing Meghan’s trip to Paris – and her two divisive outfits – he told The Cut : “Meghan and I met some years ago, and we’ve been texting ever since. She reached out and said she’d love to come to the show.” He added: “There was no strategy or big orchestration”.
The designer then added: “I didn’t tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise. In fashion, real surprises are rare, and this one was beautiful”.
Ahead of Meghan’s appearance at the Fashion Week showcase, her spokesperson said: “Over the years, the duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo. They have worked closely together collaborating on design for key moments on the world stage,” adding how Meghan is “supportive” of his “new creative chapter at Balenciaga.”
In a video captured from backstage at the Balenciaga show, Meghan was left a little red faced after she attempted to lean in for a kiss with the Italian designer, only to hit her head on his sunglasses .
As she leaned in to greet Picciolo and congratulate him on his collection, she seemed to hit her nose on his dark sunglasses. However, aware that the cameras had captured their awkward embrace, Pier appeared to laugh off the disjointed encounter and pulled her in for a photo.
A body language expert revealed how the awkward clash went down, and says it was actually Piccioli who caused Meghan to accidentally butt heads with him.
Judi James told The Mirror : “It was Piccioli who created the ‘cringe’ moment for poor Meghan, getting way too close to greet and speak to her, leading to a lack of reading her non-verbal cues when they air-kissed, leading in turn to a nose-clunk when they each aimed in the wrong direction.”
Analysing the footage of their encounter, Judi continued: “When the photos were over though Piccioli moved in for a close-quarters hug with Meghan, whose immaculate white outfit that was so carefully arranged should have warded off any form of grabbing and squeezing.”
