Martine Rose Takes Balenciaga
In the dataTailoringSportyHoodie
Kering confirmed the worst-kept secret in Paris on Nov 6: Martine Rose is the new creative director of Balenciaga, starting Nov 16. She succeeds Pierpaolo Piccioli, who left on Nov 5 after fewer than 18 months at the house. Rose becomes the first woman to lead Balenciaga in its 109-year history, and only the second Black woman to helm a major European luxury house — after Grace Wales Bonner at Hermès menswear.
The appointment is a homecoming of sorts. Rose built her own label in London from 2007, dissecting British subcultures — football terraces, rave, reggae — through tailoring and sportswear, and she consulted on Balenciaga menswear under Demna before her own line took off. Her first runway is expected at Paris Fashion Week in March 2027.
Rose arrives in Paris on a hot streak. Her Supreme collaboration — a Mike Tyson 'Heavyweight Champion' print across track jackets, hoodies and tees — dropped Oct 15 and is already trading at a premium. She is also the first creative-director hire under Kering CEO Luca de Meo, and the bet is clear: a house that lost its way gets a designer who knows exactly who she is.
- First woman to lead Balenciaga in its 109-year history.
- Rose starts Nov 16, based in Paris; first runway expected March 2027.
- Her Supreme collaboration dropped Oct 15 — track jacket $238, hoodie $368, tee $58.
The MRS pinstripe track jacket from Rose's October Supreme collab — her most visible piece the week she took Balenciaga.
A brown zip-up with Mike Tyson sleeve prints — the collab's most collectible piece.
The entry point: a 'Heavyweight Champion' Tyson print tee at $58, already reselling near $115.
