For AW14, menswear designer Martine Rose returns with a collection inspired by memories of teenage years spent at raves in London. Luxurious, heavy textures weight her now trademark loose, often over-sized silhouettes, and the ideas of gender which played through the previous season return in subtleties of fabric. Styled by long-term collaborator Max Pearmain, this season’s collection cements Rose’s place at the helm of intelligent, innovative London menswear. She’s definitely one to keep your eye on. Just don’t expect to see her at fashion week.

Dazed Digital: What was the initial inspiration for this collection?

Martine Rose: My reference points always start with music, and nothing was different this season. I became particularly interested in the UK dance scene, focusing on London. Wild Life Archive gave me some really rare archive rave flyers and we used some of that artwork in the collection. All the flyers I selected were particularly relevant to me – either clubs I went to, or my boyfriend, or my cousins. It’s very nostalgic.

DD: Your last collection focused on concepts of gender, is that present again?

Martine Rose: I always seem to have elements that nod to something quite female, I’ve used fabrics that perhaps you’d more often see in womenswear: satin, lurex, even the fur coat to a degree. I feel like those are feminine elements although the silhouette this season is much more male – it’s sort of teenage and boyish.

DD: What is it about blending masculine and feminine that interests you?

Martine Rose: Sometimes it’s not even a conscious thought, and other times it's very conscious. Last season there was a definite influence from people like Rick James and Prince because of the importance of what they represented – men being extremely brave with what they’re wearing and it not defining them in any way. This season that’s not what I’m exploring, although I do always think that we can really push what men and women are told to wear.

DD: Why did you decide not to show during LC:M this season?

Martine Rose: I’m really interested with the possibility of showing in lots of different ways. I don’t feel like a catwalk is the only solution, I don’t think it’s the future; there will be other solutions. There is something amazingly escapist and wonderful about shows and that’s not to say that they don’t definitely have their place, but for me at this time it's interesting to think of other ways. 

As her Youtube clip of AW14, Martine Rose selected the hypnotic synth sounds of E2-E4