Martine Rose will take over as creative director of Balenciaga, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli, who has led the Parisian fashion house since May 2025. Kering confirmed the appointment, announcing that Rose will officially assume the position on November 16. The company has yet to announce when she will present her debut collection.
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The appointment represents a significant development for Rose, whose independent London label has earned a devoted following over nearly two decades. She becomes the first creative director appointed under Kering chief executive Luca de Meo, who has also initiated leadership changes across Saint Laurent, McQueen and Brioni.
Rose becomes the second Black woman to lead the creative direction of a major European fashion house, following Grace Wales Bonner‘s appointment as menswear designer at Hermès in 2025. Both appointments signal changes within an industry where men have historically dominated senior creative positions.
Rose already knows Balenciaga from her previous work with Demna. In 2015, shortly after taking charge of the house, Demna recruited her as a consultant for his menswear collections. She remained in the position for three years, contributing to the development of an aesthetic that influenced contemporary menswear throughout the following decade.
Her approach to proportions played an important role in that period. Rose frequently experiments with oversized silhouettes, exaggerated volumes and close-fitting garments, using unexpected shapes to challenge conventional ideas about clothing. Her graphic sensibility has also become a defining characteristic of her work.
Rose founded her namesake label in 2007, initially concentrating on men’s shirting. Growing up in London within a Jamaican family, she developed a design vocabulary informed by the city’s diverse communities and subcultures.
Her collections draw references from acid house, jungle music, football culture, Camden punk, hiking clothes and Caribbean rudeboy style. These influences inform her treatment of familiar garments, often through unconventional proportions and details that reference specific cultural identities.
Her presentations have reflected the same interest in everyday London life. Rather than relying on conventional fashion venues, Rose has staged shows at Seven Sisters Market, residential streets in North London and her daughter’s primary school in Kentish Town. These locations have allowed her to bring the communities that inspire her work directly into her presentations.
Over the years, collaborations with Nike, Supreme, Stüssy, Clarks, Napapijri and Tommy Hilfiger have expanded her international audience. Musicians including Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna have also supported the designer, wearing her collections during performances and in their personal wardrobes.
At Balenciaga, Rose will oversee womenswear, menswear and accessories, assuming responsibility for the house’s overall creative direction. The appointment gives her an opportunity to apply the ideas developed through her independent label to a major European fashion institution.
Kering chief executive Luca de Meo described Rose’s vision as “fresh, fearless and deeply contemporary,” emphasizing her ability to challenge established fashion conventions.
Her return to Balenciaga brings her professional history with the house into a new context. After contributing to its menswear direction under Demna, Rose now takes responsibility for its complete collections. Her appointment also places one of London’s most influential independent designers in charge of a Parisian house with an international audience.
