Meghan Markle has revealed that she decided to attend the Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week in early October to show support for her designer friend. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the Duchess of Sussex addressed her surprise appearance at the prestigious event, clarifying speculations about her presence.
On October 5, Meghan made her first visit to mainland Europe in two years to attend the Spring/Summer 2026 womenswear show by Pierpaolo Piccioli, the newly appointed creative director of the brand. Prior to the event, Meghan disclosed that she personally reached out to Piccioli to offer her support in a secret arrangement that she described as enjoyable.
Following her appearance, the Balenciaga creative director confirmed that Meghan had expressed her desire to attend the show through previous interactions, emphasizing that it was a genuine and unplanned gesture. He mentioned that he intentionally kept her attendance a secret to maintain the element of surprise, citing its rarity in the fashion industry as beautiful.
Before her appearance at the fashion showcase, Meghan’s spokesperson highlighted the longstanding collaboration between the Duchess and Pierpaolo, emphasizing Meghan’s continuous support for his creative endeavors at Balenciaga. Additionally, a humorous moment captured backstage showed Meghan accidentally bumping heads with Piccioli while attempting to greet him, with the awkward encounter being attributed to Piccioli’s close approach.
Body language expert Judi James analyzed the encounter, attributing the awkward moment to Piccioli’s proximity during the greeting, leading to a misaligned attempt at an air-kiss and causing the unintentional collision.