The excellent “Clair-obscur” group exhibition at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris wrapped up Monday, and Pierpaolo Piccioli picked up the thread in Balenciaga‘s fall 2026 campaign, which broke Thursday, exalting a collection with the same title.

According to the Paris house’s creative director, clair-obscur is not only a technique in fine art and photography exalting dramatic contrasts between light and dark, but an “emotion” as well.

“I wanted to capture that exact moment where raw structure suddenly feels tender, and heavy shadows give way to a splash of unexpected light and colors,” Piccioli told WWD. “It’s about taking Balenciaga’s intense, sculptural heritage and making it feel entirely lived-in, human, and free.”

In a studio shoot, photographer Robin Galiegue captured models Anok Yai, Dara Gueye and Liu Wen wearing sculptural outerwear, much of it in leather — and many with face-framing collars, or hoods.

Naturally, they share the spotlight with many dramatic shadows that accentuate bulging backs — or bare ones.

“With a focus on the architecture of outerwear and bags, images suggest a romantic tension between darkness and light, envelopment and unexpected ease,” Balenciaga said in a statement shared first with WWD.

The house, part of luxury group Kering, has been ramping up its focus on handbags, and here the Hourglass Avenue bag and Le 7 Bowling bag got their own close-ups, with Bloom pumps and Midnight City mules also making an appearance.