FlyingMonkey
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2011
- Messages
- 7,131
- Reaction score
- 11,036
It's about time we had a thread for Rosen, https://rosen-store.com/ - a project from the very talented, Gracia Ventus, better known on Styleforum (and elsewhere) as @Rosenrot. Her own blog is here: http://the-rosenrot.com/
As with all of these types of threads, it's for discussing existing pieces we have, current lines and future developments. Maybe we can even persuade Gracia to contribute occasionally...
What's the ethos of Rosen? You'll excuse me where for putting my own interpretation on things, but it seems to me that Rosen is founded in a fusion of past and future. It draws on late C20th Japanese avant-garde fashion, particularly the 'big three' of Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo (Comme de Garçons) and Issey Miyake, and also on other designers who followed them - but the clothes these designers produced always seemed to have been transported from the future - and they still do. Rosen also draws on traditional Chinese and Japanese styles and has a strong sense of materials, along with high quality manufacture which is provided by Shanghai tailors and makers. Finally, I detect a certain sensibility, a willingness to fuse different traditions together but with knowledge and sensitivity, that you can also see in Singaporean designers like Peir Wu.
The other aspect that's really important is the genderless, or more accurately pan-gender style of the clothing. Everything is designed to be worn by anyone, and while there's still a clear spectrum visible from things that seem somewhat more traditionally masculine and others that draw more on feminine norms, nothing is overtly gendered to the point of being unavailable to anyone who would want to wear them.
Rosen is still very young. Prototypes were only created in 2017, followed later in that same year by the first collection. It's perhaps surprising then that there is already such a diversity of pieces available in three main lines. The label also operates in two fundamentally different ways from most, firstly, although it does have 'collections', annual or biannual, many older pieces are still very much available and do not disappear immediately the season is over - their availability is much more dependent on fabrics, many of which are deadstock; and secondly, everything is made-to-order, and any piece can be made-to-measure and customized on request: you can pay just a little extra for Gracia's team to find you particular kinds of fabrics, buttons, whatever.
Here are the current lines:
Rosen: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen
The original line, is the most strongly connected to that YY / CdG / IM tradition of avant-garde high fashion. There are lots of dark and rich colours, black, burgundy and teal greens, cut-away jackets and collarless or double-collared shirts, long coats and cloaks, hakamas and noragis. It's all in natural fabrics: wool gabardine, linen, hemp etc. often of a very interesting character. Many pieces are available in both heavy and lightweight variations.
Rosen-X: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen-x
This is the technical line, with everything in nylon or ripstop cotton etc. There is still plenty of black, but also more military olive greens, grey-blues, and greys. Some of the same styles reappear from the Rosen line, but there are also square-cut vests with multiple pockets, cargo pants and sharply-cut jackets.
Rosen-S: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen-s
Described as "modern and fuss-free", this is the most ordinary of Rosen's lines. It's designed for everyday use, and while it's still genderless and there are still some really innovative elements and details (the digitally-printed shirts are like very little else I've seen), most of it will not frighten the horses.
Sample Sale:
There's currently also still a pop-up sample sale of early prototypes and one-offs. I don't know how long this will be there. There are still some excellent pieces available.
Archive Shop: https://rosen-store.com/collections/archive
This is a really well-curated of second-hand clothing from the labels and designers that either have inspired Rosen, or which might also work really well with Rosen pieces (or just stuff Gracia likes - but she has impeccable taste!). Most of this is womenswear, but there are some menswear and genderless pieces in there too.
As with all of these types of threads, it's for discussing existing pieces we have, current lines and future developments. Maybe we can even persuade Gracia to contribute occasionally...
What's the ethos of Rosen? You'll excuse me where for putting my own interpretation on things, but it seems to me that Rosen is founded in a fusion of past and future. It draws on late C20th Japanese avant-garde fashion, particularly the 'big three' of Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo (Comme de Garçons) and Issey Miyake, and also on other designers who followed them - but the clothes these designers produced always seemed to have been transported from the future - and they still do. Rosen also draws on traditional Chinese and Japanese styles and has a strong sense of materials, along with high quality manufacture which is provided by Shanghai tailors and makers. Finally, I detect a certain sensibility, a willingness to fuse different traditions together but with knowledge and sensitivity, that you can also see in Singaporean designers like Peir Wu.
The other aspect that's really important is the genderless, or more accurately pan-gender style of the clothing. Everything is designed to be worn by anyone, and while there's still a clear spectrum visible from things that seem somewhat more traditionally masculine and others that draw more on feminine norms, nothing is overtly gendered to the point of being unavailable to anyone who would want to wear them.
Rosen is still very young. Prototypes were only created in 2017, followed later in that same year by the first collection. It's perhaps surprising then that there is already such a diversity of pieces available in three main lines. The label also operates in two fundamentally different ways from most, firstly, although it does have 'collections', annual or biannual, many older pieces are still very much available and do not disappear immediately the season is over - their availability is much more dependent on fabrics, many of which are deadstock; and secondly, everything is made-to-order, and any piece can be made-to-measure and customized on request: you can pay just a little extra for Gracia's team to find you particular kinds of fabrics, buttons, whatever.
Here are the current lines:
Rosen: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen
The original line, is the most strongly connected to that YY / CdG / IM tradition of avant-garde high fashion. There are lots of dark and rich colours, black, burgundy and teal greens, cut-away jackets and collarless or double-collared shirts, long coats and cloaks, hakamas and noragis. It's all in natural fabrics: wool gabardine, linen, hemp etc. often of a very interesting character. Many pieces are available in both heavy and lightweight variations.
Rosen-X: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen-x
This is the technical line, with everything in nylon or ripstop cotton etc. There is still plenty of black, but also more military olive greens, grey-blues, and greys. Some of the same styles reappear from the Rosen line, but there are also square-cut vests with multiple pockets, cargo pants and sharply-cut jackets.
Rosen-S: https://rosen-store.com/collections/rosen-s
Described as "modern and fuss-free", this is the most ordinary of Rosen's lines. It's designed for everyday use, and while it's still genderless and there are still some really innovative elements and details (the digitally-printed shirts are like very little else I've seen), most of it will not frighten the horses.
Sample Sale:
There's currently also still a pop-up sample sale of early prototypes and one-offs. I don't know how long this will be there. There are still some excellent pieces available.
Archive Shop: https://rosen-store.com/collections/archive
This is a really well-curated of second-hand clothing from the labels and designers that either have inspired Rosen, or which might also work really well with Rosen pieces (or just stuff Gracia likes - but she has impeccable taste!). Most of this is womenswear, but there are some menswear and genderless pieces in there too.
Last edited:
