Had logistics played out a little differently, Rhuigi Villaseñor would have picked me up at LAX in a McLaren, or Rolls Royce, or some other speed limit-evading mega car and taken me deep into the Hollywood Hills for his spring 2022 show. Instead, we dial up our bi-annual Zoom call, and after a few technical glitches, Villaseñor settles into the frame, excited, elated, and a little bit running on fumes. The night before, he hosted the rare in-person fashion show in Los Angeles, bringing together Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe, Saweetie, Metro Boomin, Sterling Shepard, Tyga, and more A-listers alongside an intimate cast of fashion people. “It was kind of a party before the show—people were smoking cigars and drinking,” my colleague Rachel Besser messaged me. “Kyle Kuzma was posted up smoking a cigar. There was a Champagne tower when you walked in, waiters were passing apps and drinks and the open bar was packed.” Vibiness abounded!
The venue, much to Villaseñor’s chagrin, was not a splashy white tie, Formula 1-adjacent spot in Monaco—though he tried. It was Los Angeles’s closest shorthand, the mansion where, my friend GQ’s Sam Schube (also in IRL attendance, proving that all the people who fled NYC for LA early 2020 were, maybe, right) tells me The Godfather’s infamous “Khartouuuuuum!” scene was shot.
Villaseñor’s collection was less Pacino in The Godfather and more Pacino in Scarface, though a Monégasque man of leisure remained the stated reference. Rhude’s clothing has always exuded an ultra-luxe but ultra-laid back spirit, and Villaseñor is the rare designer who after a year of questioning remains certain that what people really need is a butter suede bomber or a shearling pullover or a crocodile running shoe. The apex of luxe and loving it.
But his admiration of the finer things is not just for show—or for showing off. After a brief recap of the event, Villaseñor sits down center frame on Zoom and says, “OK, we’re starting.” Next comes 50-ish minutes of exacting product descriptions, where he holds up every cashmere short piped in leather, every silk pant with a built in cummerbund, and every boxy double-breasted blazer he’d wear with shorts, high socks, and his new, sophisticated suede slipper. “Everyone else is taking a bet on suiting,” he says smirking. “I’m willing to take that bet.”
It’s a measured balance of done-up and carefree, the way people who can afford to drop tens of thousands at the craps table tend to dress. Somehow, even with all the pomp and glitz, Villaseñor’s robe-to-roulette clothing doesn't suck the air out of the room. There might be a lot of logos and a lot of branding, but there’s still nuance, subtlety, and the opportunity for the wearer to make it his own.
Or her own. Rhude’s ever-expanding womenswear brings the confidence of his silk separates to car-print shirts and sexy tennis dresses. Here, he could stand to offer a bit more slouchiness. The best advertisement for Rhude is Rhuigi himself—the look he wore for his post-show bow is one of the most alluring of his entire lineup. Women still look a little stuck in his world, and especially now, when gendered collections are going out of style, why not a double-breasted short suit for the girls?
