After weeks of speculation, it has been announced this morning that British designer Martine Rose is the new creative director of Balenciaga, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli. Piccioli, who was formerly of Valentino, exited the Parisian house yesterday after a brief tenure of just 16 months.
Rose, who is known for her subculture-inflected designs, inspired by her upbringing in London, has been speculated as the house’s new creative lead for some time. She had previously worked alongside Demna – who was creative director of Balenciaga from 2015-2025 – on the launch of his first menswear collection, and had been championed for some time as a designer who should be creative director of a major house.
‘It is a true privilege to be appointed creative director of Balenciaga, a house with an extraordinary heritage and a boldly creative spirit,’ the designer said in a statement this morning, which confirmed she would begin on November 16, 2026. ‘Before me, Balenciaga has been shaped by exceptional creative talents. I am determined to honour this legacy and I look forward to writing the next chapter in this rich and wonderful story.’
‘Balenciaga has always been a fashion house defined by radical creativity, capable of challenging convention and redefining the boundaries of fashion,’ added Luca de Meo, chief executive officer of Kering, the luxury conglomerate which owns Balenciaga. ‘Martine Rose perfectly embodies this spirit through a fresh, daring, and profoundly contemporary vision.’
The appointment also makes Rose a rare Black woman leading a luxury fashion house, following the appointment of Grace Wales Bonner as the artistic director of Hermès’ menswear line last year (Wales Bonner will make her runway debut in January). Both designers were part of talent incubator Fashion East, and have also both been guest designers at Florentine menswear fair, Pitti Uomo, with Rose showing in January 2023 at the city’s Mercato Nuovo.
Rose, who largely has operated on her own fashion schedule, is known for street-cast runway shows at unexpected locations, from a residential street in north London to a former Vauxhall cruising club. ‘In the current landscape, which is very saturated, very product-led, very commercial, is there still a way to find fashion dynamic, interesting and relevant?’ she asked Wallpaper* in 2024, when she made her Milan Fashion Week debut. She will no doubt bring a similarly disruptive spirit to Balenciaga.