‘Past Lives’ Director Celine Song Made Balenciaga’s Fall Campaign

SACS IN THE CITY: New York City is having a fashion moment: hosting big destination cruise shows for top European brands, and serving as a lively backdrop for several big campaigns, including the latest from Balenciaga.

Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli conscripted “Past Lives” director Celine Song to create three 60-second films starring actress Sarah Pidgeon, his fall 2026 collection, and three key handbag styles: Le City, Le 7 Bowling and the Rodeo.

According to the designer, “an outfit is what we give to the world, but a bag is what we keep for ourselves.” He calls this linchpin accessory an “extension of a woman’s attitude and, sometimes, also a very precise statement.

“To me, a campaign should be able to capture and enhance that intimate, unspoken connection. What Celine directed and Sarah performed is far more than just a campaign; Sarah perfectly embodied this daily evolution on the streets of New York, while Celine captured every nuance with her singular, distinct eye.”

Under the title “A New York Minute,” each film follows Pidgeon, a “friend of the house,” and her handbags through various moments in a day.

In one, Pidgeon’s character is halted momentarily by a fictional crew filming a street scene for a romantic comedy and – wouldn’t you know it? – the rom-com’s protagonist is carrying the same Le City tote. This film within a film is revealed with a pan out that shows another set, another crew – and Song directing all these actions.

“It is an incredible act of storytelling,” Piccioli enthused.

Other quintessential New York moments include a stop at the dry cleaner, crossing a busy intersection and taking a yellow taxi home.

The campaign extends into still images, some shot by Piccioli himself, and others by photographers Monaris and Zora Sicher for a dedicated Instagram account showing what happened behind the scenes – @keeppprolling.