STORY BEHIND THE STYLE - MARTINE ROSE
THE ORIGIN STORY
Martine Rose grew up in Croydon, South London with a British-Jamaican family. Born in 1980, her childhood was filled with inspiration and motivation to one day start her label. Her mother was a nurse and her father was an accountant, but Rose spent much of her time in Tooting with her grandmother and cousins. Her sister Michelle, 15 years older, was "obsessed with Jean Paul Gaultier, Katharine Hamnett and Pam Hogg" and kept vintage Bodymap pieces that Rose would always borrow. Her cousin Darren, ten years older than her, initiated her into '90s British streetwear like Joe Bloggs and Boy London.
SUBCULTURAL INFLUENCES
Rose counts her upbringing around her older British-Jamaican cousins who were into "raves, reggae, Lovers rock, punk, and dance music" as formative to her design perspective. "I remember being very aware of different types of people coming together," she told SSENSE. "It's difficult to describe because it was so much more of a feeling or a sense of something, which is actually how I design". Rose's Jamaican heritage instilled an ethos of "make-do it yourself, make it happen, cobble it together" that defines her resourceful approach to design.
UNCONVENTIONAL SHOW SPACES
Martine Rose has been known for showing collections in non-traditional spaces including street markets, a community climbing gym, a cul-de-sac in Camden, Tottenham's covered markets, and Torriano Primary School, which was her daughter's school in Kentish Town. When invited to show at Pitti Uomo in Florence, she chose Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, a marketplace at the city's center since the mid-1500s, now populated with tourist stalls. These venue choices reflect her commitment to community and everyday British life over traditional fashion spectacle.
EXAGGERATED PROPORTIONS & GENDER FLUIDITY
Rose's designs feature exaggerated proportions that quickly became characteristic of her collections, with an interest in nightlife and music scenes leading her to use fabrics in menswear typically more common in womenswear— like fur, satin, and lurex. "I love playing with gender lines," Rose says. "I find men in women's clothes sexy and I find women in men's clothes very sexy". While considered a menswear designer, Rose designs her pieces "with a broad spectrum of people in mind".
THE NORMCORE AESTHETIC
Rose is known for "remixing and transforming ordinary and banal elements into extraordinary and distinctive designs," combining normcore aesthetics with retro stylings and everyday British wardrobe choices. "I'm very interested in something about ordinariness and everydayness," Rose explains. Her curiosity about how we dress day-to-day "holds the power to paint normality in the most spectacular light."
MAJOR COLLABORATIONS
In 2015, when Demna Gvasalia joined Balenciaga as creative director, he hired Rose as a brand consultant the following year, elevating her profile in the fashion industry. In 2018, Rose released a collaboration with Nike inspired by English and American sports culture, featuring her take on the tracksuit and Nike's Monarch model, released on Craigslist in London before hitting retailers. She's also worked as Clarks' first guest creative director and created collections for Tommy Hilfiger.
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
In 2022, Rose won the GQ Germany Award for Best Menswear Designer. In 2021,
the brand received investment from UK brand accelerator Tomorrow. She was
nominated for BFC's British Menswear Designer of the Year in 2017, 2018, and
2019, and was shortlisted for the LVMH Prize in 2017. In 2019, she participated in
"Get Up, Stand Up Now"—a major celebration of 50 years of Black British
creativity at Somerset House.
SHOP OUR EXCLUSIVE MARTINE ROSE COLLECTION NOW