The Vibe :
⊹ Pierpaolo Piccioli gives the familiar Hourglass curve a softer treatment in shiny box calfskin.
⊹ Maddi Waterhouse joins a creative cast for Hart Lëshkina’s analog-inspired photographs and videos.
⊹ A concealed second handle and engraved closure reward a closer look at the design.
The Balenciaga Hourglass Avenue bag looks perfectly at home beside a tangle of headphone cables. For its latest campaign, Balenciaga enlisted artist duo Hart Lëshkina to photograph and film Pierpaolo Piccioli’s design among vintage stereos, electric guitars and stacks of magazines. Maddi Waterhouse joins the cast, giving the softer take on the familiar curved bag an appropriately informal introduction. The mood is personal, a little nostalgic and refreshingly unconcerned with keeping a luxury accessory on a pedestal.
The design gives that attitude something tangible. Shiny box calfskin softens the Hourglass’s recognizable lines while preserving its curved base. Lift the folding flap and a concealed second handle appears, allowing the bag to be carried open for a more relaxed look. Aged-gold hardware adds polish, and the magnetic closure bears “10 Avenue George V,” the address of Cristóbal Balenciaga’s historic Paris ateliers. It’s a small detail with more to say than a prominent logo.
Balenciaga Hourglass Avenue Bags
Waterhouse appears alongside Anna Van Patten, Blanca Soler, Ch’lita, Cala Moragas, Jasmine Yen, Salem Mitchell and Yang Chaoyue, with the participants contributing as both models and creators. Bags rest across upholstered chairs, beds and cables, making their pliability part of the story. For the top-handle versions, an adjustable, removable crossbody strap adds another carrying option; current color choices include Black, Raisin, Carmin Red and White Snow.
Brand DNA
Founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917, Balenciaga reshaped fashion through radical proportions, architectural tailoring, cocoon volumes, and technical precision, a legacy now carried forward under Pierpaolo Piccioli.
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