What if the star you were looking up to for hope turned out to be nothing more than one of the thousands of satellites that circle around the Earth?
It wouldn’t matter to Rhude’s Rhuigi Villaseñor. “If I got there and it was a manmade North Star, this route is one of those things I created,” he said backstage.
That’s what he wanted to symbolize with the model satellite that hung above the catwalk this season, one he described as a refocusing and solidifying time for the nine-year old label, after a choppy 2023.
A jaunt to the English countryside where he ended up without phone signal was the start of this collection in which he layered the idea of a hunting retreat, Ivy League preppy tropes and American utility. It lent credibility to Villaseñor’s desire to signal Rhude has more range than the sporty-casual fare it is known for.
That was legibly mapped out in a nonchalantly cool lineup that progressed from youthful and outdoorsy to slick and suave, supported by Villaseñor’s knack for body-skimming proportions.
Looks transitioned nearly seamlessly from vintage-feeling leather and letterman jackets paired with roomy denims and cargo pants, to smartened up workwear and finished with tailoring that had the ease of pajamas.
That was further reinforced by the eyewear most models sported and the profusion of footwear styles with anything from sneakers and loafers to western boots and slouchy suede ones he quipped were “dehydrated Uggs.”
A cheeky thriftiness was telegraphed by vintage-feeling finishes or those OTT fur coats — repurposed vintage, he was quick to point out.
It contributed to the result feeling familiar and attractive. While the designer admitted that he isn’t reinventing the wheel, that street-savvy, skater-inflected energy he infused made the lineup as well as individual pieces feel current and coherent.
