Martine Rose Named First Woman Creative Director at Balenciaga
The London-based designer begins her tenure on November 16, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli and becoming the second Black woman to lead a major European house.
By Harper Collins ·
Balenciaga announced on Friday, Nov. 6, that it has appointed Martine Rose as its new creative director. The hiring makes Rose the first woman to hold the title in the fashion house’s 109-year history. She will replace Pierpaolo Piccioli, who confirmed his departure the day before the announcement.
Rose, 45, will begin work on Nov. 16 and will be based in Paris. The brand identified her as the successor to lead both men’s and women’s collections. Her appointment places her in a small group of Black designers who have held top creative positions at major European luxury houses.
Rose grew up in Croydon, in South London. She has a Jamaican father and an English mother. Her early style influences came from family members, including a cousin who wore rave apparel and a sister who favored reggae and Jean Paul Gaultier designs. By age 13, she was attending London clubs and experimenting with clothing.
She attended Camberwell College of Arts for a foundation year and graduated from Middlesex University with a fashion design degree in 2002. Immediately after graduating, she and a friend launched a T-shirt brand called LMNOP. The label closed after a few seasons due to financial losses.
In 2007, Rose launched her own label with a small collection of shirts. She funded the business largely herself, working shifts at a members’ club in Soho to sustain the venture. Her designs draw on British youth culture, including punk and rave styles, mixed with her Jamaican heritage. Her signature pieces include oversized pants, boxy jackets, and exaggerated button-down shirts. She received the British Menswear Designer of the Year award at The Fashion Awards in 2023.
Rose has built a reputation for dressing high-profile musicians. Kendrick Lamar wore one of her varsity jackets during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. He also accepted his 2023 Grammy for Best Rap Album while wearing her Nike Shox MR4 mule. She has also dressed Rihanna and Drake. In 2023, she designed custom suits for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the World Cup.
Rose has a prior professional history with Balenciaga. From 2015 to 2018, she consulted on the house’s menswear under creative director Demna. She helped shape the brand’s first men’s show in 2016. Industry observers credit her with influencing the brand’s menswear through changes in proportion and structure.
This appointment follows Grace Wales Bonner’s 2025 hiring at Hermès. Wales Bonner became the first Black woman to take a similar role at a major European house when she was named menswear creative director. She is scheduled to present her first collection for Hermès in January 2027 during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. Rose joins a list of Black designers who have led luxury brands, including Virgil Abloh and Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton, and Olivier Rousteing at Balmain.
In a statement, Rose said, “It is a true privilege to be appointed Creative Director of Balenciaga.”
