PITTI ANNOUNCES MARTINE ROSE AS ITS GUEST DESIGNER FOR NEXT SEASON

by John Russel Jones

Anglo-Jamaican designer Martine Rose is the Guest Designer of Pitti Immagine Uomo 103 happening January 10th to 13th,  2023. The designer will present the Fall-Winter 2023-24 collection of her label in Florence at a yet to be revealed space.

“At the first meeting with Martine for the special event in Florence, we ended up talking more about family, schools, daily shopping, and cycles of life in popular neighborhoods than about fashion shows,” says Lapo Cianchi and Francesca Tacconi, heads of the special projects of Pitti Immagine. “Yet it was evident how all this was closely related to her work, a cognitive and emotional baggage that mixes with great creative freedom with social and cultural thoughts and that is reflected in her collections, where even the most conflicting inspirations and inclinations come to a solution, at a temporary coexistence and each time to be rebuilt. In short, a sort of inverse canon, a very interesting work of and on fashion.”

“I’m so honored to be showing as part of Pitti Uomo in January,” said Rose. “Pitti was celebrating men’s design way ahead of the curve and many of the designers I respect have been a part of it. We are all so excited to come to Florence, a city I love, with our next collection!”

Martine Rose established her eponymous label in London in 2007. It has since evolved from a tightly edited shirting collection to an internationally renowned and critically acclaimed brand. Her innate authenticity and commitment to modernity have helped to create collections that retain their underground cult credentials while achieving global success. In addition, Martine has become one of the most in-demand consultants and collaborators in fashion and has for many years consistently influenced the direction of contemporary menswear.

Martine Rose is inspired by her Jamaican-British heritage and her deep interest and personal involvement in the music and high / low melting-pot cultures of London. Family and community are at the heart of the company – famously her shows have been held in spaces such as the covered markets of Tottenham, a neighborhood cul-de-sac in Camden and Torriano primary school. Martine Rose’s unique aesthetic is informed by an investigation of proportion and silhouette, surprising textures and fabrications, and fluent referencing of subcultural contexts. There is always a tension between attraction and resistance to the accepted codes of menswear. Her exploration of masculinity, the sexual edge of the collections, and sensitivity to character and mood define her work.

Martine Rose is sold at some of the most prestigious retailers in the world, including 10 Corso Como Seoul, Antonioli, Dover Street Market NY, Dover Street Market LA, Dover Street Market Ginza, GR8, The Four Eyed, Joyce, KM20, LN-CC, Machine-A, MatchesFashion.com, Mr. Porter, Slam Jam Ferrara, Slam Jam Milano, and SSENSE.

Her work is featured in the editorials of important publications such as 032c, Arena Homme Plus, American Vogue, Dazed and Confused, Document Journal, Fantastic Man, Kaleidoscope, i-D, Marfa Journal, Office Magazine, POP, T magazine, The Gentle Woman, The Face and W.

In 2021, Martine Rose received investment from UK brand accelerator, Tomorrow, acting as a collaborative partner and global licensing partner. In 2019, Martine Rose participated in the exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now – a major celebration of 50 years of Black British creativity at Somerset House in London. That year she was also nominated for the BFC’s Menswear Designer of Year and the Urban Lux Award. Martine Rose was nominated for the BFC’s British Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2018 and 2017 when she was in addition shortlisted for the LVMH prize and nominated for the ANDAM award for emerging designers.