“NEW BEAT GENERATION – ADRENALIN – LONDON DANCE” – the words taken from a flyer, printed on to patches and sewn on to the garments of London menswear Martine Rose’s AW14 collection, inspired by her days on the London rave scene.
Described by Dazed as the “unsung hero of Britain’s menswear scene,” the go-to designer for Rhianna is all about referencing influential British youth movements and reflecting inspiration from her own experiences in her collections. Past seasons have been inspired by the early 90s ravers (AW14), the 70s S&M subculture (SS15) and the skinheads (AW12, AW13 and SS14.)
Originally beginning as a Menswear shirting label in 2007, Rose was scouted by Lulu Kennedy, director of Fashion East when showcasing her debut collection of 10 shirts at a Black private members club in Soho. With the support of Fashion East, Rose debuted her first catwalk collection and subsequently gained the prestigious British Fashion council sponsorship NEWGEN award. The rising design talent now choses to not exhibit on the catwalk, but likes to explore the possibility of alternate options.
Music is a big reference point for designers creative process. In an interview with Dazed she said: “I got turned on to fashion through music. It didn’t come the other way around.” Her subculture inspired silhouettes blend masculinity and femininity, we see an eclectic mix of odd proportions, unexpected fabric combinations and unconventional textile paring in her designs.
For AW15 Rose takes us back to urban 90s with what she describes as a “sporty crusty ravey type vibe” in a collaboration with fashion collective #BEENTRILL#. She has also collaborated with Ditto Press and artist Toby Mott to create a made-to-order MA1 jacket and a limited-edition patch set and badge featuring Grogger and Inch to mark the book Skinhead: An Archive.
Previous collaborations for the designer include Wallpaper Magazine, Timberland, Ligne Roset, CAT and Boutique Department store Browns. Rose has received press attention across the globe and boasts stocks in the US, Europe and Asia.
