November 3, 2022 |
You don’t get more British than Martine Rose. She’s a born-and-bred Londoner whose handwriting has been shaped by subculture and life lived on the fringes. Punks, ravers, inner-city bankers and footy ‘eds have all made their way into her collections, which come sexed-up, hyper-charged and brilliantly subversive.
For her latest venture, though, Rose has left the British Isles and headed stateside for a capsule collection with Tommy Hilfiger’s Tommy Jeans. And while, yes, Rose might find more comfort in a gay cruising ground than behind a white picket fence, working with Hilfiger has allowed the designer to superbly twist all-American codes with a collection that flips the Ivy League beginnings of Hilfiger on its head.
Always on the hunt to how much she can really get away with, the 35-look collection includes everything from co-branded jockstraps through to denim chaps and dressing-gown coats which hark back to Rose’s beermat towelling jackets from her AW13 collection. Raiding Hilfiger’s extensive archive, preppy codes are funnelled through a distinctly Rose lens – be it varsity jackets, hoodies, or polo shirts – all shrunken and swollen in signature Rose fashion.
“Collaborating with Martine has been inspiring and really pushed me creatively,” writes Tommy Hilfiger in a statement. “I love it when a designer can come in and put their own touch on our archival pieces. The collections elevated and unique, and really highlights how out-of-the-box and experimental Martine’s work is.”
For the collection’s campaign, Rose enlisted art photographer Buck Ellison, whose work centres around the white upper class and the WASP dynasties that occupy blissful suburban life. Together with Rose, Ellison subverts such ideals, placing gay, interracial couples into narratives which embody what it means to live the American dream – from reading the Sunday papers lounged on swanky couches, to taking the dog for a walk alongside perfectly mown lawns.
“I really enjoyed being able to explore American subculture and create a campaign that not only celebrates, but rightly spotlights marginalised communities,” says Rose. “Tommy Hilfiger has always been a brand that I’ve drawn inspiration from, so this partnership was such a natural and organic marriage.”
Photography by Buck Ellison. Shop the Martine Rose x Tommy Jeans collection here.
