The relaxed maturity of Rhude's SS25 collection

«Looking back at the collection, I didn’t see it as a transition from day looks to evening looks, but as a transition from our beginnings to where we are now. And you could see the maturity: from the Swarowski shirts of the old days to the formalities of tailoring. It’s the evolution of our maturity», said Rhuigi Villaseñor at the end of the Rhude SS25 show, held at Villa d’Este, on the shores of Lake Como. Villaseñor’s brand has indeed come a long way, and this collection marked its definitive maturation, almost ten years after its founding. «We’ve been in business for eight, nine years. Now I have to think about the next thirty years, the next hundred. Because I’m here to build a real, lasting company that I can pass on to the next generations», continued Villaseñor. The collection, in this sense, was both a return to the roots and a snapshot of an evolution where, like in a diorama, the brand’s aesthetic was seen transitioning from the informality of crystal-encrusted long sleeves to the complacent gentility of suits.

But one must not think that the informal and the formal are detached from each other: in Villaseñor’s vision, the haughtiness of tailoring is softened, not only by flowing cuts, but by touches of joyful informality like flip-flops and sports tank tops. The same generous lapels of the pinstriped jackets, paired with the orange lenses of the sunglasses, recalled more the insouci ance of a seasoned dandy than the seriousness of a businessman. Backstage, Villaseñor recalled how, as a child, he would look at Ralph Lauren and Armani suits, objects of curiosity and desire that were only seemingly out of his reach. And in other looks, the blend of the different souls of Rhude became more evident: imagine an Oxford shirt with a club tie, worn over a leather aviator jacket, with pinstriped Bermuda shorts, Wallabee-like shoes, aviator lenses, and a pink baseball cap; or a combination of boxer shorts, a faded T-shirt, and a long housecoat. Almost as if the curiosity of a young boy, immediate and sporty, infused with hip-hop influences had fallen into the patrician wardrobe of an industrial captain. Which is, after all, the story of Villaseñor himself, who now runs a brand in full expansion.

«You have to be selfish with the message, selfish with the aesthetics», reiterated Villaseñor, who for this collection, a kind of milestone that attests the seriousness of his intentions and ambitions, considered being true to oneself more important than being original at all costs. «We are a young and profitable company and we need to be smart about how we want to grow in the coming years. It’s a key moment to either emerge or lose momentum». And that’s why, in this collection, Villaseñor wanted to expand his creativity to the entire spectrum of fashion, from sunglasses to bags and shoes, which are «key components for business» but always «at a slow and measured pace» with the same caution of someone who, after long journeys, has matured. «Now I have my house and I’m building it», concluded Villaseñor, «we need to set the tone for what will come in the future».