Menswear trends such as track tops and weird trainers may are often attributed to a combination of social media, celebrity and kismet. But there’s another factor that links them: the designer Martine Rose.
The London-born 42-year-old might not be a household name like Ralph Lauren or Giorgio Armani, but she has a greater influence on what fashionable young men wear in 2023. Having designed menswear since 2007, she is an originator of some of the more outlandish trends ranging from gorpcore (hiking gear for people who don’t hike) to Justin Bieber’s wide-legged jeans. Her climbing collection and cult football shirt based on Liverpool’s 1992 strip are already five years old. Last year, a heeled version of Nike’s Shox sneakers – perhaps the weirdest of weird shoes – became the go-to trainer among the fashion crowd and sneakerheads alike.
