Martine Rose for Napapijri

Martine Rose: Subculture, Style, and the Art of Disruption

In the ever-evolving landscape of fashion, few designers have carved a path as distinct and culturally resonant as Martine Rose. Born in Croydon in 1980 to a British Jamaican family, Rose has become one of the most influential voices in contemporary menswear, known for her fearless approach to design and her deep-rooted connection to London’s subcultures.

A Career Built on Community and Subversion

In 2007, she launched her eponymous brand, initially focused on shirting, which quickly evolved into a cult menswear label. Her shows have famously taken place in unconventional venues - community centers, climbing gyms, and even her daughter’s primary school - reflecting her commitment to authenticity and accessibility.
Her breakthrough came in 2015 when Demna Gvasalia invited her to consult on Balenciaga’s menswear line, a move that elevated her profile globally. Since then, she’s collaborated with Nike, Clarks, Supreme, and Stüssy, each partnership reinforcing her ability to merge underground culture with high fashion.

A Career Built on Community and Subversion

In 2007, she launched her eponymous brand, initially focused on shirting, which quickly evolved into a cult menswear label. Her shows have famously taken place in unconventional venues - community centers, climbing gyms, and even her daughter’s primary school - reflecting her commitment to authenticity and accessibility.
Her breakthrough came in 2015 when Demna Gvasalia invited her to consult on Balenciaga’s menswear line, a move that elevated her profile globally. Since then, she’s collaborated with Nike, Clarks, Supreme, and Stüssy, each partnership reinforcing her ability to merge underground culture with high fashion.

Aesthetic Tenets: Gender-play and Proportions

Martine Rose’s design language is unmistakable, characterized by exaggerated proportions and distorted silhouettes that challenge traditional notions of fit and form. Her collections often blur gender boundaries, blending masculine tailoring with feminine textures like satin and shimmer, creating a tension that feels both deliberate and intuitive. Deeply rooted in the visual codes of 1990s rave, reggae, punk, and hip-hop scenes, her work channels the energy of underground London with a raw, lo-fi sensibility. She frequently incorporates unexpected materials and styling choices that subvert conventional beauty, crafting garments that feel lived-in and emotionally charged. In a 2019 conversation with artist Martine Syms for Interview Magazine she explained, “I want my clothes to feel slightly undone, a bit unraveled. You’re buying an emotion.” This ethos permeates her collections, which often read like visual diaries of nightlife, street football culture, and queer club scenes: spaces where identity is fluid and fashion is a form of resistance.

Inspirations: London’s Subcultures and Personal Heritage

Rose’s Jamaican heritage and South London upbringing are central to her creative vision. Her designs are steeped in the energy of Brixton, Vauxhall, and Tottenham, drawing from the lived experiences of rave kids, dancehall icons, and football hooligans. “I remember being very aware of different types of people coming together,” she told Ssense. “It was more of a feeling… which is actually how I design.”
Her work is not just about clothes. It’s about the stories it tells. As she explained in a recent interview for BBold Asia, “Fashion is fundamentally about freedom. Labels? Merely suggestions.”

FW25 Collaboration with Napapijri: A Reunion of Icons

For Fall/Winter 2025, Martine Rose reunited with Napapijri, reigniting a creative partnership that originally ran from 2017 to 2019. The new capsule revisits and reimagines archival pieces blending sportswear inspiration, preppy varsity codes, and technical precision with Rose’s signature irreverence.
Speaking about the collaboration, Rose said:
“We’re really proud of the collections we released together. I’m always being stopped and asked about the pieces when I wear them – and people still reference the imagery we created in the shoots: the mix of the clothing, locations, and cast was so fresh. This is a chance for those who missed out the first time around to get their hands on the best of the collections.”
The FW25 collection is a testament to Rose’s ability to balance nostalgia with innovation, offering a second chance to experience the magic of a collaboration that helped shape the language of contemporary outerwear. But more than a reunion of icons, it marks another chapter in Martine Rose’s ongoing journey through fashion, defined not by trends, but by transformation. Her work invites us to move through time, through subcultures, through identities, reminding us that fashion is never static. It’s a living archive of emotion, memory, and rebellion. In Rose’s world, garments are not just worn. They’re experienced. And with each collection, she continues to redraw the map of what fashion can be: personal, cultural, and profoundly human.

FW25 Collaboration with Napapijri: A Reunion of Icons

For Fall/Winter 2025, Martine Rose reunited with Napapijri, reigniting a creative partnership that originally ran from 2017 to 2019. The new capsule revisits and reimagines archival pieces blending sportswear inspiration, preppy varsity codes, and technical precision with Rose’s signature irreverence.
Speaking about the collaboration, Rose said:
“We’re really proud of the collections we released together. I’m always being stopped and asked about the pieces when I wear them – and people still reference the imagery we created in the shoots: the mix of the clothing, locations, and cast was so fresh. This is a chance for those who missed out the first time around to get their hands on the best of the collections.”
The FW25 collection is a testament to Rose’s ability to balance nostalgia with innovation, offering a second chance to experience the magic of a collaboration that helped shape the language of contemporary outerwear. But more than a reunion of icons, it marks another chapter in Martine Rose’s ongoing journey through fashion, defined not by trends, but by transformation. Her work invites us to move through time, through subcultures, through identities, reminding us that fashion is never static. It’s a living archive of emotion, memory, and rebellion. In Rose’s world, garments are not just worn. They’re experienced. And with each collection, she continues to redraw the map of what fashion can be: personal, cultural, and profoundly human.