No drip feed of ambassador announcements from Balenciaga, which on Tuesday unveiled 11 new faces in one go – and with a campaign featuring them already in the can.

Actors Winona Ryder, Harris Dickinson and Roh Yoonseo headline the list of ambassadors, while seven individuals were anointed “friends of the house:” American actors Danielle Deadwyler of “The Woman in the Yard” and Havana Rose Liu of “Bottoms,” British musician Labrinth, Canadian actor Hudson Williams of “Heated Rivalry,” and the models Mona Tougaard, Loli Bahia, Ned Sims and Sen Samysheva, the latter two exclusive to Balenciaga.

These are the first ambassador appointments by Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who described them all as “human beings with distinct stories, faces marked by experience, vulnerability, and nuance. I was not looking for constructed personas, but for real presence.”

Sharing the appointments exclusively with WWD, he went on to describe “a new community — different, yet connected by shared values: respect, sensitivity, strength, freedom.

“My work in this maison is always about the people who wear the clothes — how they move, how they feel, how they exist in the world. I want the garments to bring ease and confidence, never to overpower. The person wears the clothing, not the opposite,” he added.

Piccioli conscripted David Sims to photograph this new crew in his debut spring-summer 2026 collection, scheduled for delivery Tuesday in select Balenciaga boutiques and at Balenciaga.com, though the men wear looks from the pre-fall 2026 collection.

Balenciaga is planning a coed show during Paris Fashion Week on March 7.

Yoonseo said the set and space for the campaign shoot “felt like a scene from a film. Wearing Balenciaga makes me feel chic, creative, and a little playful. The attitude lives in the dress, and it brings it out of me effortlessly—like I’ve become the protagonist.”

The South Korean model and actress is probably best known for the TV series “Our Blues” and “Crash Course in Romance” and such films as “20th Century Girl.”

Star of “Stranger Things” and the “Beetlejuice” film franchise, Ryder lauded Piccioli’s designs: “You can see the influence of real, hundred-year-old couture, but it’s done in such a modern way. His approach to fashion and humanity really speak to me.”

Labrinth said the Paris-based fashion house and Piccioli – who had conscripted him to perform at the spring 2022 couture show of Valentino, the Italian designer’s prior job – both embody an appreciation for artistry.

“That means this is more than fashion; it’s world-building,” said Labrinth, who won several Primetime Emmys for his work on the “Euphoria” series. “As an artist, creativity is infinitely important to me, so to be a part of this house where that is so much of its DNA, it feels right.”

Williams, who burst onto the cultural radar for his portrayal of a hockey player with the secret hots for a key Russian rival, confessed that he’s “still kind of in disbelief that I get to be a small part of this next chapter.”

According to Williams, the spring campaign “isn’t just about fashion—it’s about identity and having the
confidence to show up as yourself without compromise.”

Dickinson, who catapulted to prominence opposite Nicole Kidman in the 2024 film “Babygirl,” drew a parallel between movies and fashion.

“In the roles I choose to play and the stories I’m drawn to as a filmmaker, what matters most is character and humanity, how we navigate change, tension and growth,” he said. “Pierpaolo brings that same depth and emotional truth to his work. It’s clear that creative freedom and authenticity are essential to him.”

Sims captured Balenciaga’s new faces at close and further range. Piccioli described it as “a place where time feels paused. In that stillness, identity becomes clearer and connection becomes possible.”