She starts Nov. 16 and will be based in Paris. “It is a true privilege to be appointed Creative Director of Balenciaga,” Rose said in a statement. Here’s what to know about the designer stepping into one of fashion’s biggest jobs. Who Is Martine Rose? Meet Balenciaga’s New Creative Director Rose’s story starts in South London, where the 45-year-old grew up in Croydon with a Jamaican father, an English mother and a big extended family.
Her first style lessons came from home. As she told WWD, she was obsessed with the rave looks her older cousin wore, while her sister loved reggae and wore Gaultier. By around 13, Rose was hitting London clubs and experimenting with clothes herself. After a foundation year at Camberwell College of Arts, where her love of playing with proportion began, Rose earned a fashion design degree from Middlesex University in 2002.
Right after graduation, she and her best friend launched a T-shirt label called LMNOP. The line found an audience but lost money, and it closed after a few seasons. In 2007, she launched her namesake label with just a few shirts. “If I focus on one area, I could build on those blocks,” she told WWD. The journey was almost entirely self-funded, and in the early days she worked shifts at a Soho members’ club to keep going.
Today, her menswear pulls from the British youth
Today, her menswear pulls from the British youth culture she grew up around, from punk to rave, mixed with her Jamaican heritage. Her signature pieces include supersized pants, boxy oversized jackets and exaggerated button-down shirts. In 2023, she won British Menswear Designer of the Year at The Fashion Awards. Why Martine Rose’s Name Sounds So Familiar of your favorite artists
Rose launched her London label in 2007, building it around music, subculture and the way real people dress. Over the years, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna and Drake have all worn her designs. At the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, Kendrick wore one of her varsity jackets. Rose and Lamar feed off each other’s energy. CNN Style said the two has the “closest, and most creative, of bonds” out of all the celebrities Rose has dressed.
Rose reiterated to the outlet, saying, “Like all good relationships, it started slowly before we realized the energy between us, this creative synergy that means it just works.” Lamar also accepted his 2023 Grammy for Best Rap Album in her Nike Shox MR4 mule, the square-toed heeled sneaker fashion girls have chased since 2022. With Nike, she also dressed the U.S. Women’s National Team in custom suits for the 2023 World Cup.
Rose and Balenciaga have history too
Rose and Balenciaga have history too. From 2015 to 2018, Rose consulted on the house’s menswear under Demna, including its first men’s show in 2016. Fashion insiders credit Rose with helping transform the brand’s menswear through proportion, shape and structure. Now she comes back with the top job. Martine Rose Joins A Short List Of Black Designers At The Top Rose is only the second Black woman to take the creative helm at a major European fashion house.
Grace Wales Bonner became the first in 2025, when Hermès named her menswear creative director. Wales Bonner will present her highly anticipated first collection for the house in January 2027 during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. Rose also joins a small group of Black designers who have led major luxury houses, including the late Virgil Abloh and Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton menswear and Olivier Rousteing, formerly at Balmain.
One thing we know about being first: You’re usually never the last. And your work lays the historic groundwork for others to follow. Congratulations, Martine! Sis, you did that. The fashion world is watching, and Balenciaga is undoubtedly better with you at the helm.
