Tudor Rose: Henry VIII is Martine Rose’s AW26 muse

January 21, 2026Fashion / NewsFashion / NewsTudor Rose: Henry VIII is Martine Rose’s AW26 muse

For her latest collection, the designer pays homage to the British monarch, as well as James Brown and Prince Naseem

ShareLink copied ✔️January 21, 2026January 21, 2026TextIsobel Van DykeMartine Rose AW26

Gallery / 47 images

We all have an image of Henry VIII in our minds – whether that’s a 16th-century Holbein portrait, or playboy Jonathan Rhys Meyers batting his eyelashes in the 00s Channel 4 series The Tudors. Henry is a historical figure UK teens grow up with: we recite rhymes to memorise the fates of his six wives and play spot-the-difference between Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.

The tyrannical ruler easily sits within the top five most famous British monarchs, but did you know he’s also a modern fashion muse? The aforementioned Holbein portrait served as inspiration for John Galliano’s AW08 menswear show, while in 2016, JW Anderson’s SS17 collection featured slashed Tudor sleeves (“like Henry VIII’s jackets,” said Anderson at the time).

Now, for her AW26 menswear collection, Martine Rose becomes the latest fashion designer to take inspiration from the king’s wardrobe. “Confrontational expressions of glamour pay homage to time –transcending muses of flamboyance and dandyism,” reads the press release. After showing in London last September, the menswear designer has simplified things this season, presenting her new collection via lookbook.

Courtesy of Martine Rose

Renaissance-era exaggerated shoulders manifest in various ways – from detachable sleeves to regal furs. Meanwhile, other muses on this season’s mood board included James Brown and Prince Naseem. In particular, Rose recalls the British boxer making his infamous, triumphant ring walks, which materialise within the collection as logoed sweat towels, boxing shorts and hoods. As we’ve come to expect from Rose’s work, macho archetypes are juxtaposed with loud femininity. Boudoir-style silk nightgowns are sewn into shirts, while corset lacing is applied to workwear staples such as denim jeans and jackets.

As for the footwear, it looks like Martine Rose is making a case for 2026’s cuntiest pump (Renaissance-era footwear was huge in 2025), with comically long-toed loafers, as well as new Nike Shox in an exclusive red colourway. It’s a collection that references some unlikely muses, yet remains inherently Martine Rose – as described in the notes, it’s a wardrobe made up of “real-life clothes, imbued with individuality.”

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