Martine Rose to lead Balenciaga as brand’s first female creative director
The London-based designer starts Nov. 16 in Paris, just 10 days after Pierpaolo Piccioli announced his departure.
By Austin Reed ·
Balenciaga named Martine Rose its creative director on Friday, Nov. 6, making her the first woman to hold the title in the company’s 109-year history. She begins work on Nov. 16 and will be based in Paris.
The announcement came one day after Pierpaolo Piccioli confirmed he was leaving the house. Rose, 45, takes over a brand that has become a major player in celebrity fashion, particularly through its associations with musicians and athletes.
Rose built her reputation in London, where she grew up in Croydon with a Jamaican father and an English mother. She started experimenting with clothing at age 13, inspired by the rave and reggae scenes in her extended family. She studied at Camberwell College of Arts and graduated from Middlesex University with a fashion design degree in 2002.
After a brief stint with a T-shirt label called LMNOP, she launched her eponymous brand in 2007. The line was self-funded, and Rose worked shifts at a Soho members' club to support herself. Her menswear focuses on oversized silhouettes, including boxy jackets and supersized pants, drawing from British youth culture.
Her work gained global attention through collaborations with high-profile artists. Kendrick Lamar wore one of her varsity jackets at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. He also accepted his 2023 Grammy for Best Rap Album wearing her Nike Shox MR4 mule. Rose has also dressed Rihanna and Drake, and she designed custom suits for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2023 World Cup.
Rose is not new to the Balenciaga team. She consulted on the brand’s menswear from 2015 to 2018 under creative director Demna. Insiders credit her with helping reshape the brand’s approach to proportion and structure during that period. This is her return to the house in its top leadership role.
The appointment places Rose in a small group of Black designers leading major European fashion houses. She is the second Black woman to take the creative helm at such a brand, following Grace Wales Bonner, who became menswear creative director at Hermès in 2025. Other Black designers who have led luxury houses include Virgil Abloh, Pharrell Williams, and Olivier Rousteing.
Rose said in a statement that it is a true privilege to be appointed creative director. She won British Menswear Designer of the Year at The Fashion Awards in 2023. Her first collection for Balenciaga is expected to follow her established aesthetic of bold, structural designs.
