LONDON — With the appointment of Martine Rose at Balenciaga , Kering gave the clearest indication yet of the direction it plans to take regarding the creative direction at its brands.

It appears Kering ‘s focus is on appealing to a younger generation, and on tapping seasoned female creative directors in a sphere long dominated by men .

These women, some of whom have already worked in the brands’ design studios, will be tasked with serving up collections that are commercial but still “avant-garde,” using Kering chief executive officer Luca de Meo ‘s phrase of the month.

Why else would Kering have picked Rose, who worked alongside Demna on Balenciaga menswear in the early phase of his long tenure at the house?

She is widely regarded as having been a major influence on the brand’s oversize, distressed and vintage-flecked men’s silhouettes.

Her laid-back, urban cool and the streetwise, gender-fluid looks she created for her eponymous brand, which she has now paused following her new appointment, have won…