Thousands of cell phones are thrust into the air as the opening din of Rosalía’s “Saoko” begins. The stage is bare but the zillions of fans know that soon, the lights will flash and there will come Rosalía, in the first moment of the first night of her 2022 world tour that will take her from her native Spain across Europe and to North and South America. When she finally appears, in a blitz of light and cheers, she’s wearing a cobalt Dion Lee knit top and low-waisted miniskirt that is positively mini—all the better to show off her Dion Lee boots.
Weeks before, in Paris, Lee is scrolling through dozens of sketches he has made for Rosalía and all of her dancers. He will be the exclusive costumer for the musician for the next four months of her tour, crafting every belt, every moto jacket, and every flamenco-inspired gown. He doesn’t seem a lick tired, instead inspired to see his designs take life on a star of Rosalía’s stature.
That partnership suits him. His woman is really the Rosalía type—aggressive, tough, and spellbindingly sexy. His resort 2023 collection, concepted in tandem with Rosalía’s looks, is brimming with ruggedly hot clothing with a certain motocross edge. The monstera leaf top from his spring 2021 collection has been revived as a padded black leather minidress that almost resembles a tire tread. Shoulder pads and knee pads give sunbleached sweats a sporty feeling, while deconstructed corset suiting is as strict as ever, but somehow in our strange intra-pandemic world, feels totally right.
Maybe it’s that after all the hubbub about dressing up or dressing down, hardcore crispness is the mood that fits this moment. Precision and slinkiness can be at odds, but here Lee finds a groove that works. Catch it on tour this fall—or in wardrobes this resort season.
