Initially starting out with a shirting line and developing it season after season, Martine Rose proved with her Autumn Winter 2012 collection that she is now in control of a fully fledged menswear label. Moving forwards from the aspirational design led 'ideas-based' pieces of the last few seasons, this was a collection that brought all of her references together, boiled them down and produced a seriously slick result.
Printed jeans were one of the highlights and a common theme throughout, a mottled almost abstracted camo-print that had been softened right down. Bomber jackets were a big thread too, with multiple versions of the classic MA-1 adding a tough edge
If previous collections have taken skateboarding and a street attitude for inspiration, this was the collection that Martine's boy grew up. While there were still references to the London's youth culture in there, they were pared down and refined for a more considered silhouette. Printed jeans were one of the highlights and a common theme throughout, a mottled almost abstracted camo-print that had been softened right down. Bomber jackets were a big thread too, with multiple versions of the classic MA-1 adding a tough edge.
Although edgy, the harder elements of the collection were paired with softer ones, with Martine combining the oversized and filled out jackets with tailoring, shirting and knitwear. The look was one which offered a unique prospect for the season, it had a military feel but at the same time provided a proposition for her man that was completely accessible.
Where her clothes may have been more easily read for her audience, it was her styling and in particular, her boy's hair, that Rose really pushed the envelope, giving the fashion editors something to talk about. It was helmets and masks constricted out of blonde wigs for the boys, adding an avant-garde touch to the show, think a futuristic Betty Boo and a whole lot of Sun
