Martine Rose brings her beloved British rave scene to Milan

Martine Rose(@martine_rose) debut at Milan Fashion Week was one of the most hyped shows of the season, and even though it came after the highlight of the day – the show with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons – there was tremendous anticipation to see how the British-Jamaican designer’s underground universe would be framed within the Milan program. At least for those of us lucky enough to attend her show, Martine Rose kept the spirit of her beloved London rave scene alive.

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Leaflets on the floor, fruit of his references, archive images and inspirations welcomed us on the floor of a space full of scaffolding with recycled sheets. They seemed reminiscent of the remains of a rave, the comfort zone of dissident, underground people, on the margins of conventions; those people well loved by Martine Rose.

You will never see Rose tell the realities of normal people, mostly because she has never felt comfortable in that kind of situation. For her it’s about finding beauty from an anti-formula approach, outside the obvious: “I don’t like conventional beauty in any form.” That’s why this season she’s trying out a confrontational look characterized by tangled, ass-length, almost floor-length wigs and latex-colored nasal prostheses that become silhouette definers in their own right. Backstage, the designer tells us that there’s something sexy about them, “I wanted to create these characters that I love, to me they’re inspiring, and that’s what it’s all about. You know, there’s a sexiness, a kind of darkness, and humor in all of them.”.

The slogan “Local Hero”, floods the caps of the collection celebrating the core values of the brand, and its characters. Some of the local heroes wore archival items such as coats or jackets worn as shirts. In a literal interpretation of self-reference, a party shirt is printed with passport photos of the studio team and their families. Another part of the entourage combine sartorial elements with typical club wear, adding belts with sherry decanter-inspired buckles, which are forged with the street slang “Bait” and the word “Eros” or “Rose.” As a nod to his Jamaican roots, he also introduces in some of his street heroes a crochet fanny pack around his neck, as if to protect it from thieves, in the middle of a party.

That place of the designer’s heroes saw the continuation of the creative dialogue between Rose and Clarks with the ‘Coming Up Roses’; collection; in it, the iconic Desert Boot, Desert London and Dress silhouettes expose the raw cut construction and exaggerated craftsmanship of each design. The designer also indulged her passion for soccer and in addition to including her legendary sweaters in the proposal she also introduced the new Nike Air Tiempo, which, in case there was any doubt, are not part of an official collaboration with Nike. Perhaps a small preview of what is to come between the designer and the sports multinational?

Martine Rose has been able to show in Milan, but she has not forgotten her roots at any time. The designer has brought her beloved London to one of the most important fashion capitals in the world and although it is hard to be away from home, she affirms to “never want to stay in a safe space, because then it becomes boring and repetitive. So I’m out of my comfort zone, I like to be out of my comfort zone, because then I feel like I can create something new.”

While Pitti Uomo was already a risky bet, but very successful in its execution, Milan has also been a golden opportunity for anyone who hasn’t seen one of her shows before. Arrivederci, Martine!