The Rose & Crown.

Martine Rose

Hello! So the first designer that I’m illustrating here is Martine Rose...who was born in 1980 in Croydon. It’s appropriate that my first diary entry for Fida is from South London because the Printmaking Studio where I make my work is there. In brief, Rose started her own label in 2007, then she got head-hunted by Demna Gveslia in 2015 to be a Menswear Consultant at Balenciaga. Martine Rose is definitely a taste-maker, a cool-hunter, a trend-setter. So I’m illustrating her LFW SS23 Menswear Show why?

2 reasons:

1.             I think it speaks to ‘the-now’ in every way 

2.             Her Nike collaboration Trainers!

‘Androgynous’ used to be defined in fashion as Linda Evangelista with a pixie haircut in a ballgown. Now, there are truly androgynous looks on the runway. I looked up the word in the dictionary and the 2 principle definitions are: ‘Neither clearly masculine or feminine in appearance’ and ‘Having ambiguous sexual identity’. I think so much of what we are seeing on the Runway now is about these 2 definitions.

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Martine Rose’ show was held in a Vauxhall archway, harking back to Gay Underground Clubs in the 90s, with an inspirational mood of Cruising for Boys. The first look that grabbed me was a man with a kind of Dynasty-style hairdo, in a pistachio satin dress. I couldn’t work out if he was male or female until the lack of bust-darts gave him away. It’s clever to drape, but not over curves, and over a manly flat chest instead. The whole collection just looks really cool. I love the earrings worn on the card (as if straight from the shop) they remind me of early Katie Grand stuff in ID magazine (thanks to ID online for the video footage of the show). And then I spotted the trainers. They. Are. Awesome. A sort of mule/trainer/heel hybrid that look AMAZING. Worn to the show with some great ‘Rose’ logo sport socks, that I think read ‘No Hard Feelings’ around the top edge. The pun is a stroke of genius and the ‘saying’ keeps the collection British. For me, it’s all going on, and I reckon the denim ‘Barbour jacket’ will be on the UK high street before you can write down Martine Rose’ name.

I hope you like the prints:

Shoes: 5 colour screen print, made from hand-drawn positives in ink onto Trugrain. Printed in System 3 Acrylic Inks onto Heritage Rag Paper from John Purcell in South London. A3 Size

Satin Frock: Photopolymer Etching with Chine Colle. Printed in Soft Black Etching Ink from Intaglio Printmakers onto South Bank Paper from John Purcell in South London. A4 Size

Thank you for your eyes as always.