Confirmed: Martine Rose Is Balenciaga’s New Creative Director
The cult menswear designer and former Demna collaborator is returning to Balenciaga as owner Kering seeks to revive sales at the French house.
Martine Rose will become the new creative director of Balenciaga, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli, Kering confirmed on Friday. The British-Jamaican designer is known for her London-based label, a cult favorite, and is the first creative director hire by Kering CEO Luca de Meo. The appointment, effective November 16, signifies a shift in Balenciaga's direction after Piccioli's brief tenure.
Under Piccioli, the brand focused on provocative communications and elevated everyday fashion with exaggerated proportions. Rose's background aligns with this era, as she worked with Demna to shape Balenciaga's menswear for several years. Her appointment reflects Kering's bet on renewed cultural connections, particularly among young buyers, and could help revive the key category of menswear, which accounted for up to half of Balenciaga's revenue under Demna.
Rose, only the second Black woman to ever take the creative helm at a major European fashion house, joins a historically male-dominated and homogeneous creative director role.
Written by urgent.news from Business of Fashion's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
