Martine Rose’s Milan Fashion Week Debut Packs a Punch – CNN
Tue 18 Jun
Text by Scarlett Conlon | Photography Justin Shin / Getty Images
With flyers strewn across the floor, metal barriers covered in recycled plastic, and a sporadic assembly of plastic chairs arranged in dimly-lit arts space south of central Milan, British menswear designer Martine Rose eschewed the polish often associated with the Italian fashion capital, giving guests a taste of her native North London’s gritty charm instead.
“I want people to go in into it and there be this beauty but not in a instantly recognizable way.”
Martine Rose
“I wanted it to be a bit of a mess,” said Rose ahead of the show on Sunday that marked her debut on the Milan Fashion Week schedule after years presenting her label in London. “I want people to go in into it and there be this beauty but not in a instantly recognizable way.”
The British designer questioned conventional beauty standards with enlarged prosthetic noses and knotted hip-length wigs. Seeing Martine Rose at her best, SS25 was spearheaded by strong sportswear, printed tops, and cascading satins, ushering models down the upcycled runway in structural garments that are both fragile and powerful.
This subverted starting point is a longstanding signature of Rose’s brand and one that has no doubt contributed to her being one of the most sought-after and influential designers of her generation.
In addition to running her business — one that remained independent since its launch in 2007 until The Tomorrow Group invested in 2021 — she has consulted behind the scenes for prominent fashion houses including Balenciaga, been shortlisted for the prestigious LVMH Fashion Prize, among many others, and picked up the coveted Menswear Designer of The Year trophy at the 2023 Fashion Awards.