Sam Levinson, the creator of HBO’s ‘Euphoria’, made an unexpected foray into high fashion with a collaboration at Paris Fashion Week on March 7.
Levinson worked alongside Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, designing the installation and cinematography for the show, which featured unseen footage from the upcoming third season, due to premiere on April 12.
The collaboration, several months in the making, merged the worlds of television and fashion. Video screens, stills from the series, and a curated soundtrack transformed the runway into a cinematic experience, while new cast members, including Danielle Deadwyler, Anna Van Patten, Priscilla Delgado, Darrell Britt-Gibson and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, appeared alongside returning stars Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Hunter Schafer and Colman Domingo.
Levinson said the project was both creatively liberating and technically challenging. “It was exhilarating to work in someone else’s vision while bringing Euphoria into it,” he explained. “We blended footage from the show with the models and costumes, creating a montage that reflected the show’s themes of light and dark, fragility and strength.”
Reflecting on season three, Levinson described it as “deeper and more mature,” allowing exploration of the characters beyond high school and a more expansive cinematic universe. He praised the returning crew, noting that continuity helped maintain the show’s aesthetic and emotional depth.
The collaboration with Piccioli offered Levinson a fresh perspective on fashion, particularly its role in storytelling. “I have always imagined clothing as part of a character’s narrative,” he said. “Seeing Pierpaolo’s meticulous process was inspiring. Every detail, every fabric choice, conveys meaning.”
While Levinson does not plan to pursue fashion extensively, he said the partnership with Balenciaga was a unique opportunity to merge creative worlds and showcase Euphoria in a new cultural context.
