MARTINE ROSE HAS LONG ENJOYED A CAREER AS YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER’S FAVOURITE DESIGNER, WORN BY EVERYONE FROM RIHANNA TO KENDRICK LAMAR. BUT EVEN WITH THE A-LIST ON SPEED DIAL, HER FEET REMAIN RESOLUTELY ON THE GROUND. LAUREN COCHRANE MEETS HER
A CONVERSATION WITH MARTINE ROSE ranges far and wide. Mine, which takes place on a sunny autumn morning, covers everything from her most recent collection to designing for women, rave culture, rap lyrics and the outfit her older sister wore to Notting Hill Carnival in the Nineties.
I have interviewed Rose on several occasions, and this is my second time in her studio in London’s Crouch Hill. The atmosphere is always warm, and jampacked with culture. An Alice Neel print is propped up by the window; a George Michael poster hangs in the loo. Abook on Casa Susanna, the Sixties summer camp for cross-dressing men and transgender women, is in an organiser on Rose’s desk, under acopy of Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom.
I find her sitting on a bench outside, on a morning cigarette break. In a stylish rust-coloured Rejina Pyo cardigan and camo trousers, she greets me with her trademark grin and a hug. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ she asks. So far, so Martine – she might be one of the fashion world’s biggest stars, but she remains resolutely down-to-earth.
Rose’s 2023 was chock-a-block with moments that underlined her star power. She scored the prestigious spot as guest designer at men’s fashion week Pitti Uomo, showing her collection in Florence in January. In the run-up to the appointment of Pharrell Williams as creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton in February, Rose was widely tipped to take the job. In July, she released a heeled version of Nike Shox, a shoe so sought-after it was deemed the fourth hottest product between July and September by fashion search engine Lyst. In August, she launched a campaign for her latest Nike collab and broke a certain corner of the internet by casting Leah Williamson and Nineties TV legend Ruby Wax. And, in September, she won an ELLE Style Award. Meanwhile, Rihanna, Bella Hadid, Kendrick Lamar and Hailey Bieber all wear her designs. Those aforementioned rap lyrics? That’s Lamar namechecking Rose during his verse on the song ‘The Hillbillies’. ‘He rhymes me with “sardine”,’ she says, laughing, always one to downplay associations with megastars. (This connection is deepening: in November, Rose launched a capsule collection of merch with Lamar.)
The designer, who started her label in 2007, is known for creations that take in diverse and esoteric influences. Although ostensibly menswear, her customer base has always been split 50/50 across genders. Cult pieces range from football shirts for imaginary teams, twisted to become a conceptual take
