Beauty is a purely abstract and subjective quality. What may seem extremely beautiful to one may seem just the opposite to the other. That’s exactly what happens to Martine Rose, what most people don’t find attractive, she does. This was more than clear at the presentation of her Spring/Summer 2025 collection during Milan Fashion Week, a very special date for the designer, as it was her debut there.
To develop this line, the British-Jamaican was inspired by the cracks and crevices of culture, by the unusual, the invisible, and the unpredictable, as well as by the expressions of beauty that arise from disturbance, humour, and sex. The appearance of the models who made up the casting mirrored the above, as they looked like fantasy characters out of a fairy tale for adults (due to the tousled wigs and latex prostheses they wore on their noses), and after a long after-party they decided to show up with heroic attitude at the show, which took place in an art centre in Porta Romana, where recycled sheets hovered over mass-use rented seating constructions, the floor was full of brochures and research materials that cement a feeling of transparency and authenticity, and the ephemeral walls created the illusion of intimate spaces, the kind from whence curious and untried evolutions of beauty tend to emerge.
Perhaps those curious beauty evolutions have not yet been possible to prove, but what has been possible is to see the versatility and mastery that Rose has, characteristics that have led her to be considered one of the most revered designers of today, in addition to winning the award for best British designer at the last British Fashion Awards ceremony. These skills and more are to blame for another great collection. The tailoring was great, for the deviant triangular-cut silhouettes, shrunken and fitted, but also the streetwear that can be seen so often on the streets of any city. There was no shortage of extra-long coats, jackets with zips or buttons, long or short-sleeved shirts in different colours and bright prints, trousers of various lengths remixed with leather, or leggings with arched front zips. In general, all the clothes spoke for themselves, exuded sensibility, and were rendered more complex by the details they had such as cut edges and patches, or the seductive graphics materialised on the pieces in colourful dyed wax prints.
Martine Rose’s new work was topped off with several items: a multi-coloured crochet knitted bag reclaimed from previous proposals; pendants and earrings inspired by sherry decanter labels, forged with the street slang “Bait” and “Eros”; shoes with the iconic square toe and boots in collaboration with Clarks that belong to the 200th anniversary collection; and a pair of sneakers, designed and supplied by Nike, inspired by the brand’s Tiempo football boot. This item is presented as a tribute to the long-standing football-centric relationship between football and the brand.
Have a look at the Martine Rose Spring/Summer 2025 collection photographed by Vincent Migliore for Fucking Young! below:
