Martine Rose Named the New Creative Director of Balenciaga

Published: November 6, 2026 Last Updated 11 minutes ago by Esther Ejoh

Kering and Balenciaga have officially appointed British-Jamaican fashion designer Martine Rose as the house’s new Creative Director.

Set to assume the role on 16 November 2026 in Paris, Rose will become the first woman to hold this position in Balenciaga’s 109-year history.

The appointment marks a significant moment for the French fashion house and introduces a new creative direction shaped by contemporary culture, independent design, and the unconventional spirit that has long influenced Rose’s work.

The announcement of Martine Rose as Balenciaga creative director follows Pierpaolo Piccioli’s departure and signals a strategic shift for the house.

Known for challenging traditional ideas of fashion through exaggerated proportions, subcultural references, and distinctive tailoring, Rose brings a perspective that sits between streetwear and high fashion.

Her appointment also marks a return to familiar territory, having previously worked with Balenciaga as a menswear consultant under Demna from 2015 to 2018.

During that period, she contributed to the creative environment in which the house developed its recognisable oversized silhouettes, experimental proportions, logo-driven designs, and street-meets-couture identity.

Now, she returns with greater creative responsibility, taking charge of the house’s overall vision and the direction of its upcoming collections.

The appointment is significant not only because of Rose’s history with the brand but also because of what she represents within the fashion industry.

Her career has been built outside the traditional luxury fashion system, drawing inspiration from London’s diverse communities, music scenes, youth culture, and everyday dressing.

As the new Balenciaga creative director, Martine Rose will have the opportunity to bring these influences to one of Europe’s most recognisable fashion houses.

Who Is Martine Rose?

Born in 1980 in Croydon, South London, to a British-Jamaican family, Martine Rose grew up in an extended West Indian community. She often identifies her grandmother’s house in Tooting, known for its constant activity and gathering of family and friends, as an important influence on her creative outlook.

This sense of community, cultural exchange, and everyday interaction continues to inform her approach to fashion.

Rose studied fashion design at Middlesex University, graduating in 2002. Following an early collaborative label, she launched her own menswear line in 2007 with support from the Prince’s Trust.

Unlike many fashion designers who seek immediate recognition through established fashion institutions, Rose developed her label independently, gradually building a reputation within London’s underground fashion scene.

Her early collections were presented in unconventional locations rather than traditional fashion venues. The designs drew heavily from London subcultures, including rave culture, football casuals, skinhead style, reggae, hip-hop, and the everyday clothing worn by different communities across the city.

These references became central to her design identity. Rather than focusing on conventional ideas of luxury, Rose found inspiration in people, music, street culture, and the way individuals use clothing to express themselves.

Her collections often featured exaggerated shoulders, oversized tracksuits, sharp tailoring, unusual proportions, and familiar garments reworked through unexpected details.

For several years, her business remained relatively small. Rose has spoken about a period when fashion was an expensive pursuit, while she worked in bars and lived in temporary accommodation.

Her experience outside the established fashion system helped shape her independent perspective and gave her work a connection to everyday life that continues to distinguish her from many designers.

Her wider recognition grew when Demna invited her to work as a menswear consultant at Balenciaga in 2015. The opportunity provided financial stability and introduced her work to a much larger international audience.

However, Rose continued developing her independent label, maintaining the creative identity that had earned her recognition within the industry.

Over time, her designs attracted a devoted following among musicians, actors, and cultural figures. Rihanna, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Timothée Chalamet, and Tyler, the Creator are among the names associated with her work.

Her collaborations with Nike, particularly the popular Shox mule, also demonstrated her ability to translate an unconventional design perspective into commercially desirable products.

This background helps explain why the appointment of Martine Rose as Balenciaga creative director has attracted considerable attention. She is not entering the house as a designer who needs to establish a cultural identity.

She already has one, developed through years of independent work and a close understanding of the communities that influence contemporary fashion.

What Can We Expect From Martine Rose at Balenciaga?

One of the biggest questions surrounding Rose’s appointment is how her independent design identity will translate into Balenciaga’s collections.

She has never been a designer who follows conventional ideas of what luxury fashion should look like. Her work thrives on contrasts: elegance and awkwardness, oversized proportions and precise tailoring, high fashion and subculture, polished garments and pieces that appear deliberately lived-in.

At Balenciaga, she inherits a house with an extensive architectural and couture legacy, alongside a more recent history of challenging fashion expectations. The challenge will be to establish a recognisable direction without simply repeating the work of previous creative directors.

Her understanding of menswear is likely to play an important role in shaping the collections. Rose has spent much of her career exploring how traditional menswear can be reinterpreted through changes in proportion, construction, and styling. Her designs frequently challenge conventional ideas of masculine dressing while maintaining a strong sense of structure.

This approach could influence both the men’s and women’s collections at Balenciaga. The house has already developed a reputation for exploring gender boundaries through clothing, and Rose’s experience offers an opportunity to take that conversation further.

Silhouettes will also be worth watching. Exaggerated shoulders, elongated sleeves, oversized jackets, wide-leg trousers, and reworked everyday garments are recurring elements in her work. These design choices could introduce a different approach to Balenciaga’s established visual language.

Her experience with footwear and accessories may also influence the brand’s commercial direction. The success of her Nike collaboration demonstrated that unconventional ideas can attract a broad audience when they are developed with a clear understanding of product design and cultural interest.

For Balenciaga, this balance will matter. The house needs collections that generate conversations within the fashion industry while also producing desirable products that customers want to purchase. Rose’s ability to move between independent design and major brand collaborations could prove valuable in achieving both objectives.

In her own statement, Rose expressed respect for the house’s history and enthusiasm for the opportunity:

“It is a true privilege to be appointed Creative Director of Balenciaga, a House with an extraordinary heritage and a fearless creative spirit. Balenciaga has been shaped by remarkable creative talents before me. I am committed to honoring this legacy and look forward to creating the next chapter in this rich and beautiful story.”

Her statement suggests an understanding of the responsibility attached to the position. Balenciaga is not simply another fashion label. It is a house with a history of influential designers, significant contributions to fashion construction, and a reputation for challenging established ideas of clothing.

A New Direction for Kering’s Most Cultural House

The appointment of Martine Rose is also the first major creative director decision under Luca de Meo’s leadership at Kering. The French luxury group, which owns several major fashion houses, has been navigating a period of change as it works to strengthen its brands and respond to shifting consumer expectations.

For Balenciaga, the appointment represents an opportunity to reconnect with the cultural fluency and generational relevance that helped make the house one of the most discussed names in contemporary fashion.

Rose brings several qualities that make her an interesting choice. She understands the brand’s recent history, having worked within its creative environment. She also has an independent identity that has developed over nearly two decades, giving her a perspective that is not entirely shaped by the expectations of the luxury industry.

Her connection to London’s music, streetwear, and youth cultures could introduce new references into Balenciaga’s collections. At the same time, her experience with international brands and celebrity clients suggests that she understands the commercial reach required to lead a major fashion house.

The fashion industry will also be watching how she approaches the balance between her personal label and her new responsibilities. Maintaining the identity of an independent fashion brand while leading a global luxury house requires a different level of creative and organisational direction.

Nevertheless, Rose’s career suggests that she has consistently worked across different creative environments without losing the qualities that make her designs recognisable.

As she prepares to begin her tenure on 16 November 2026, expectations are already building around what comes next. The first collections under her direction will offer a clearer picture of how she intends to interpret Balenciaga’s heritage and introduce her own ideas.

The appointment of Martine Rose as Balenciaga creative director marks a significant moment for both the designer and the fashion house.

It brings an independent British-Jamaican creative voice into one of the most influential positions in European fashion and introduces a new perspective to a brand that has built much of its identity around challenging conventions.

Balenciaga has consistently been shaped by designers willing to question what fashion can be. With Martine Rose taking the lead, the house is preparing for another period of creative change.

Her next chapter will be closely watched, not only because of the history attached to the appointment but also because of the possibilities her distinctive approach brings to the future of the brand.

Photo: Andreas Larson