If William Shakespeare had Juliet wondering “What’s in a name?,” Martine Rose had her show guests thinking “What’s in a nose?” instead.
The nose prosthetics that her street cast wore along with floor-length wigs offered the first conversation point of her Milan debut. The simple gimmick embodied the designer’s mission of challenging beauty standards and were attuned with the big question she carried with herself from London: Where do we find beauty?
“Last time I came to Italy I really leaned into Italian culture,” she said about her show in Florence last year. “This time I wanted to explore. Milan in particular has been home for polished and beautiful products and I was thinking how I can work against that and where I genuinely find beauty, which is in the sort of cracks, around the edges and maybe in the places where it usually can’t be found.”
Aka, contrasts. Womenswear archetypes like dresses and skirts were toughened up with motorcycling-inspired elbow patches and knee-guards, while menswear codes were revisited with a softer touch, as seen in fluid wrap dresses layered over jeans or tailoring worn with pencil skirts.
“It’s not about gender, it’s about enjoying clothes whatever they are, whoever you are. It’s about fun,” said Rose. “There’s never an intention to shock. Everything I got on the catwalk, I genuinely think is sexy.”
The profusion of leather pieces surely amplified her good faith, including inserts on a chap-inspired look to sartorial pants as well as cool full-leather separates ranging from vests to cargo Bermuda pants. Elsewhere, boxy double-breasted blazer jackets and flashy puffers tucked into pants and skirts contributed to the unapologetic swag of Rose’s casting.
“I wanted to create different characters this time, that are not beautiful but there’s a sexiness, a darkness and humor — all the stuff I find really inspiring,” said Rose.
Her characters were fully accessorized, too, sporting cowboy boots and wooden clogs with the designer’s signature square toe or knitted bags hanging around their necks. Rose built on her ongoing partnership with Nike and featured her second collaboration with Clarks, revisiting the brand’s Desert Boot, Desert London and Dress styles.
As for Rose’s own boots, they seem to be made for walking. Asked if she has plans to stay in Milan, the designer said: “You never know. I’m into hopping around. I always go home to London but I like this playing with cities.”