Martine Rose Named Creative Director of Balenciaga
Just a day after Pierpaolo Piccioli’s exit, Kering has named Martine Rose creative director of Balenciaga, making her the first woman to lead the house. For Rose, it’s something of a homecoming, as the British-Jamaican designer worked alongside Demna on Balenciaga menswear in his early years there, and is widely credited with shaping the oversized distressed men’s silhouettes that came to define that era. Since launching her London label in 2007, she has built a loyal following that includes Drake, Timothée Chalamet and Kendrick Lamar, who wore custom Martine Rose for his 2025 Super Bowl halftime performance. The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Rose, who paused her fall 2026 collection while working to separate her company from Tomorrow, the same distributor at the center of Coperni’s closure this week, which was sold to Progetto 11 earlier this year. “Balenciaga has been shaped by remarkable creative talents before me,” she said. “I am committed to honoring this legacy and look forward to creating the next chapter in this rich and beautiful story.” She starts on Nov. 16. Her appointment is part of a wider reshuffling at Kering, which has also seen Anthony Vaccarello exit Saint Laurent and Seán McGirr depart Alexander McQueen. Neither successor has been named, but with several women reportedly in the running for both roles, Kering could end the year with women leading the majority of its houses. [WWD]
Martine Rose by Liz Johnson Artur | Image courtesy of Kering
Coperni Is Closing
Coperni is ceasing operations. Founders Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer announced on Wednesday that Coperni SAS would shut down after they were unable to resolve a dispute with Tomorrow, their majority shareholder and distributor, over unpaid sums. Known for their love of technology and their experimental approach to the runway, the pair staged a show at Disneyland Paris that put Kylie Jenner in a princess gown and turned Bella Hadid into a live canvas when a dress was sprayed directly onto her body. Behind the scenes, though, the tension with Tomorrow had been building all year. The brand skipped Paris Fashion Week in February, an early sign of its troubles with the distributor. Tomorrow was then sold to Progetto 11 in March, and Coperni sought protection from the Paris court in June. “Despite all our efforts, no solution could be found,” the founders wrote, though they signed off with “See you soon.” [WWD]
The Met Gala Finds Its New Theme in the Everyday
Two months after the planned John Galliano exhibition was called off, the Costume Institute has announced its replacement. The 2027 show will be titled extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday, and curator in charge Andrew Bolton says it will ask visitors “to see the everyday anew.” The exhibition takes two paths: one elevating archetypal garments like T-shirts and jeans, the other exploring how disposable materials such as paper, aluminum and plastic become wearable art. Around 230 pieces are expected, including a Junya Watanabe leather biker jacket, Bottega Veneta’s trompe l’oeil “denim” from Matthieu Blazy’s era and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s puffer gowns with Moncler. “I didn’t have a plan B,” Bolton admitted. The Met Gala takes place May 3, and the exhibition runs from May 9, 2027, through January 9, 2028. [Vogue]
The 2026 CFDA Fashion Award Winners
The CFDA Fashion Awards returned to the American Museum of Natural History on Monday night, with Keke Palmer hosting. Rachel Scott took the top prize, American Womenswear Designer of the Year, for Diotima, her second win in the category, which she earned while also serving as creative director of Proenza Schouler. Ralph Lauren was named American Menswear Designer of the Year, Ana Khouri won the accessories award, and Brooklyn-based Colleen Allen was named Emerging Designer of the Year. Anthony Vaccarello, fresh off his exit from Saint Laurent, received the International Designer of the Year Award, while Tory Burch and Linda Fargo were among the evening’s honorees. [WWD]
Iowa’s Governor-Elect Once Walked for Prada
Before he was Iowa’s governor-elect, Rob Sand was walking runways in Milan. The 44-year-old Democrat, elected on Tuesday, modeled in the early 2000s while studying political science at Brown University. Signed to Elite Model Management, he appeared in Prada’s S/S 2003 menswear show and also walked for Giuliano Fujiwara and Japanese label Number (N)ine. His two worlds briefly collided in 2004, when he missed the Iowa caucuses in his hometown of Decorah because he was working in Milan. Sand eventually went home to Iowa, earned his law degree from the University of Iowa, and spent years as a public-corruption prosecutor before running for office. He has rarely discussed his modeling years. “It had to be one or the other,” he once said of choosing between the two. [Vogue]
Remembering John Frieda
Celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur John Frieda has died at 75, his London salon announced on Tuesday. Frieda trained at the House of Leonard, worked for British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and opened his own salon in 1976, the same year he created the Purdey bowl cut for Joanna Lumley. His clients ranged from Twiggy and Jackie Kennedy to Diana, Princess of Wales, Madonna and Nicole Kidman. He later built a hair-care business around products like Frizz-Ease, which he and his business partner, Gail Federici, sold to Kao in 2002 for $450 million. Speaking to the British Beauty Council in June, he summed up his approach simply: “The reward is giving her the best haircut she’s ever had.” [BBC]
Nassia Matsa Turns the Camera Around
Models are usually seen at the end of the process, polished and retouched. In Model Check-In, model and tech writer Nassia Matsa documents everything that comes before, collecting candid photographs taken since the start of her career in 2017. Airport pickup signs, runway call sheets, bruised knees and cheap hotel breakfasts all appear. “Usually they take pictures of me, so this is an archive of what I see when I am on set,” she said. Rather than a traditional photobook, Matsa released the project as a small bag charm, closer in scale to a phone screen, which is how most of us now consume fashion images. Model Check-In is now available at Casa Magazines in New York. [Dazed]
Meet the Graduates Class of 2026
For over a decade, Models.com’s The Graduates series has served as a visual check-in with the models of the moment who have consistently performed at the highest levels, graduating from rising newcomers on the Hot List to the Top 50’s most recognizable faces. Stars like Bella Hadid, Hoyeon, Vittoria Ceretti, Selena Forrest and Sora Choi, to name a few, have all taken part in the milestone series, which marks a defining shift in a model’s career. With major bookings across editorials, campaigns, lookbooks and runways, these models have secured their places among fashion’s most sought-after talents, working with leading luxury houses and influential creatives while continuing to make their mark on the global stage. For the 2026 edition, Models.com headed back to Paris during the whirlwind of Fashion Week to capture this year’s graduating class, Achol Kuir, Alaina Rae, Emeline Hoareau, Fatou Kebbeh, Frauke Nijs, Lauren Huyskens and Saar Mansvelt Beck, through the lens of photographer Valentin Herfray, with styling by Dara and looks exclusively from LVMH Prize finalist De Pino. Beyond the images, the cast sits down with the Models.com team to reflect on their unexpected beginnings, career-defining moments, the designers and photographers who have shaped their journeys, and what lies ahead as they cement their positions as the next generation of leading faces in fashion. Meet the class here.
How Fine Art Shaped Photographer Daria Kobayashi Ritch’s Lens
“Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” says Daria Kobayashi Ritch, the latest creative featured in Models.com’s Behind the Image series. Based between Los Angeles and New York, the photographer describes her work as honest observation, centered on the person in front of her lens. Known for capturing authentic moments and genuine connections with her subjects, Ritch reflects on how studying fine art at UCLA shaped her approach, the influence of her mentor Paul Jasmin, and the biggest challenges she has navigated throughout her career. Read the exclusive interview here.
Does a Fashion Brand Need One Way of Seeing?
Many looks, one house. Fashion’s most recognizable labels are redefining what makes a brand instantly identifiable. Rather than relying on a single photographer to shape their visual identity, Versace, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent are embracing multiple creative perspectives. Whether it was Versace’s three-photographer Spring/Summer 2026 campaign or Prada’s artist-led reinterpretations, luxury houses are signaling a shift in how they communicate their identity. Models.com contributor Zoe Yasmin examines how creative direction is increasingly becoming an exercise in curation, and why a brand’s identity may be strongest when it can evolve across photographers, styles and mediums while remaining unmistakably its own. Get a sneak peek here.
The Money and Hot List Rankings Have Been Updated
Discover the talents who made this season’s Money and Hot List rankings here.
