Meghan Markle and Balenciaga designer Pierpaolo Piccioli are seemingly not as close as many might think.
The Duchess of Sussex surprised everyone when she attended the brand’s Paris Fashion Week show earlier this month, marking her first appearance at the prestigious fashion event.
The mom of two opted for a white, button-down tunic with a flowing cape and matching slacks. She styled her hair in a sleek updo and accessorized with a simple black clutch purse and diamond earrings.
Highlights
- Meghan Markle attended Balenciaga's Paris Fashion Week show, marking her first appearance there since stepping down as a royal.
- Balenciaga designer Pierpaolo Piccioli revealed that Meghan asked to attend the show.
- Reports suggest Prince Harry was upset by the coverage of Meghan’s Paris visit, especially over a video filmed near Princess Diana’s crash site.
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After the event, Meghan’s representative told People that the former actress was in Paris to “support” Pierpaolo, who debuted his first collection with Balenciaga since becoming its creative director in July.
However, the Italian designer has since revealed that the interest in having Meghan at the show actually came from her side.
She wore a white tunic with a flowing cape, matching slacks, and minimal accessories
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“Meghan and I met some years ago, and we’ve been texting ever since,” Pierpaolo told The Cut on Saturday (October 11). “She reached out and said she’d love to come to the show.”
The 58-year-old, who was seen hugging Meghan at the event, said there was “no strategy or big orchestration” behind the Suit star’s appearance.
“I didn’t tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise,” he added. “In fashion, real surprises are rare, and this one was beautiful.”
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A spokesperson for Meghan previously said she wanted to support the Italian creative, noting that she has worn many of his designs and that the two have “worked closely together” during key moments in Meghan’s life.
They stated that the Duchess’ appearance reflected “many years of artistry and friendship,” and that she wanted to accompany the designer as he embarked on his new creative chapter at Balenciaga.
Meghan previously attended Toronto Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week during her Suits years.
Meghan’s team said she attended to support designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently became Balenciaga’s creative director
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The Paris show on October 4 marked not only her first fashion week appearance in the French capital, but also her first fashion week since she and her husband, Prince Harry, stepped down as working royals in 2020.
Last year, the With Love, Meghan star shared what factors she considers when supporting a designer on the world stage.
Knowing that all eyes will be on her, Meghan said she makes sure to wear pieces from designers with whom she has “really great friendships” or from “smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting,” she told the New York Times.
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“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do, and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring,” she said of her support for smaller brands.
However, on this occasion, her support of Balenciaga was met with criticism after the Spanish luxury fashion house faced backlash over an ad featuring children holding teddy bears dressed in bondage-style outfits.
The brand, founded by couturier Cristóbal Balenciaga, was forced to apologize following the scandal, stating that it “strongly condemns child ab*se” and that “it was never our intent to include it in our narrative.”
Pierpaolo later clarified that Meghan herself had reached out to attend the show
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Another major talking point from the event was a video showing Meghan laughing while sitting front-row at the spring/summer 2026 show.
Charlotte Griffiths, who has been reporting on the British royal family for 15 years, told GB News that the 44-year-old burst out laughing after a model tripped on the runway, but allegedly “covered it up” upon realizing how “cruel” her reaction might have seemed.
A representative for the As Ever founder later denied the claim, telling the Daily Mail that Meghan was not laughing at the model.
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Insiders also told the tabloid that Prince Harry was left “hurt and upset” after his wife was criticized for posting a video showing her stretching her feet out in the back of a limo near the Pont de l’Alma tunnel, where his mother, Princess Diana, lost her life in a car crash in 1997.
The father of two reportedly said the memory of his late mother was being used as “a stick to beat his wife with” during her trip to Paris.
The Paris show marked Meghan’s first fashion week appearance since stepping down as a working royal in 2020
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It has also been reported that the Duchess was unaware she had filmed the video close to the crash site, with friends calling it a “hell of a stretch” to think she did so intentionally.
Following the Paris event, Meghan flew to New York with her husband for the Project Healthy Minds' annual World Mental Health Day Gala, where they accepted the Humanitarians of the Year award.
After Paris, Meghan and Harry traveled to New York, where they received the Humanitarians of the Year award
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During their speech, the Duchess reflected on the challenges parents face in the digital age, while the Duke spoke about their Archewell initiative, The Parents Network, which supports families affected by social media harm.
“This is a pivotal moment in our collective mission to protect children and support families in the digital age, and we cannot do it without you," Harry said.
Many social media users speculated that Meghan invited herself as a PR move
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