Industry · November 9, 2026
Martine Rose Takes the Keys to Balenciaga
The London designer who made football shirts and super-baggy denim feel like luxury becomes the first woman to lead the Spanish-founded house in its 109 years.
Balenciaga has a new creative director, and for the first time in the house's 109-year history, it is a woman. Kering confirmed on 6 November that British designer Martine Rose will lead both the men's and women's collections, taking over from Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose exit after roughly 18 months was announced just a day earlier.
A return, not a debut
Rose is no stranger to the brand. She spent three years working on Balenciaga menswear during Demna's era, the period that turned oversized "dad" sneakers and tongue-in-cheek accessories into cult objects, and she helped shape the exaggerated silhouettes the label became known for. Her move back is, in a sense, a homecoming with a promotion.
She is also only the second Black woman to lead a major European fashion house, following Grace Wales Bonner's appointment to menswear at Hermès in 2025 — a milestone in an industry whose top jobs have overwhelmingly gone to white men.
The Rose vocabulary
Since founding her label in London in 2007, Rose has built a reputation as the designer who listens to subcultures: football terraces, reggae sound systems, northern soul dance floors. Her greatest hits include reworked football jerseys, ultra-wide jeans and a heeled take on the Nike Shox. She designed a custom varsity jacket for Kendrick Lamar's 2025 Super Bowl halftime show and has dressed names from Timothée Chalamet to Rihanna. Her shows have taken place in a residential cul-de-sac, a primary school and a former sauna.
Why it matters
The appointment is part of a broader reset at Kering under CEO Luca de Meo, who framed the appointment around Rose's connection to a new generation. Her own label has not staged a show since June 2025, so her first Balenciaga collection — expected next season — will be the industry's first real look at what she does with a house-sized budget.
What it means: expect Balenciaga's next chapter to lean even harder into street culture and community storytelling. That is good news for creators who speak fluently to menswear, sport and street audiences — exactly the territory where short-form fashion content performs best.