LONDON — Martine Rose, the influential British-Jamaican designer who previously collaborated closely with Demna during his formative decade at Balenciaga, is returning to the luxury house as its new creative director, parent company Kering announced on Friday. The high-profile appointment follows the departure of Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose tenure at the storied French fashion house lasted less than 18 months.
Kering stated that Rose’s appointment marks a dynamic new chapter in the ongoing evolution of the luxury brand, noting that she brings a profound understanding of Balenciaga’s unique creative identity alongside her own singular, forward-thinking vision of contemporary culture. Based in Paris, Rose is scheduled to officially step into her new role on Nov. 16, taking the reins of a brand that has consistently challenged the conventions of the global fashion industry.
Reflecting on her new position, Rose expressed that it is a profound privilege to be appointed creative director of Balenciaga, characterizing it as a house defined by an extraordinary heritage and a fearless creative spirit. She noted that Balenciaga has been shaped by remarkable creative talents before her, adding that she is deeply committed to honoring this legacy while looking forward to crafting the next chapter in its rich and beautiful story.
Luca de Meo, chief executive officer of Kering, described Balenciaga as a house of radical creativity that continually challenges conventions and redefines the boundaries of fashion. He added that Rose embodies this spirit through a fresh, fearless, and deeply contemporary lens. According to de Meo, her connection to the new generation and her instinctive understanding of broader cultural shifts bring an entirely new dimension to the house, reflecting Kering’s overarching ambition to keep Balenciaga firmly at the forefront of innovation, creativity, and modern culture.
Gianfranco Gianangeli, president and CEO of Balenciaga, echoed these sentiments, praising Rose as an extraordinary creative talent endowed with a bold and highly distinctive vision. Gianangeli emphasized that her innate ability to challenge traditional conventions, reinvent classic silhouettes, and introduce an unexpected perspective to fashion resonates deeply with the spirit of innovation that defines the very core of Balenciaga. He expressed delight in welcoming her as creative director and conveyed great enthusiasm for this exciting new chapter.
Rose established her eponymous independent label in 2007, gradually building a reputation as one of the most culturally astute designers in menswear before selling a majority stake to Tomorrow Ltd. in 2021. Over the course of her career, she has collaborated on a wide array of high-profile capsules and special partnership projects for prominent brands, including Supreme, Nike, Napapijri, and Tommy Hilfiger. Her industry footprint expanded further in 2023 when she was appointed as Clarks’ first-ever guest creative director, a role she undertook during the same year she served as a featured guest menswear designer at the prestigious Pitti Uomo trade show in Florence.
Long before taking the top job, Rose worked alongside Demna on Balenciaga’s menswear lines during his early years at the helm of the brand. She is widely regarded within the industry as having been a major, foundational influence on the brand’s signature oversize, distressed, and vintage-flecked men’s silhouettes that came to define a dominant era in menswear. Rose’s distinctive aesthetic—characterized by a laid-back, urban cool sensibility and fluid, gender-bending silhouettes—has cultivated a devoted following of influential fans and cultural icons, including Drake, Naomi Campbell, DJ Goldie, Kendrick Lamar, and Timothée Chalamet.
The high-profile appointment at Balenciaga arrives at an opportune moment, providing a much-needed professional and logistical boost for the designer. Earlier this year, Rose was forced to press an unexpected pause on her fall 2026 collection as she attempted to disentangle her namesake company from the troubled Tomorrow, which was subsequently sold to The Level Group. Her independent eponymous collection maintains a robust retail footprint, sold through approximately 200 select stockists worldwide, including Dover Street Market globally, H Lorenzo, Nordstrom, The Webster, SKP in China, and Browns online.
Although her fall 2026 independent collection ultimately never went into formal production, it remains a testament to her vibrant design ethos. It was conceived as a playful, eclectic offering filled with hot pink fur, dark denim, flocked trousers, corset-like stitching on jackets, and subtle touches of slinky lingerie fused seamlessly with traditional dress shirts.
Describing the creative direction of that unproduced collection, Rose noted that it was decadent through her specific design lens, representing a deliberate collision between 1990s clubwear and old-world opulence. She explained that the collection was fundamentally about dressing up and showing off, drawing eclectic inspiration from a diverse array of historical and cultural sartorial show-offs, ranging from King Henry VIII and James Brown to the renowned British boxer known as Prince Naseem. With her move to Balenciaga, Rose brings this fearless, culturally rich perspective to one of the most visible stages in global luxury fashion.
