Only when he was inadvertently without a signal in the English countryside did Rhuigi Villaseñor begin thinking about how to signal both his vision and values through this season and beyond. After a rocky 2023, the focus is on responsibility across the business, he said, and building upon Rhude’s roots while proving that the brand is about more than hoodies and basketball shorts. “We need to elevate and tell our customers,” he said.
A model satellite hovered above the darkened hall as his Out of Range collection moved through a sequence of vintage, collegiate, outdoorsy, urban, and evening phases, from college casual to suave tuxedo. Indeed—double entendre intended or not—this was a lineup that showed its range. There were ever-shifting silhouettes: slim letterman jackets and ample jeans, padded workwear ensembles that gave a straighter line, roomier streetwear topped with cheekily deluxe coats (the fur was repurposed vintage), or fluid tailoring that bridged sartorial and sleepwear.
The range of footwear was similarly impressive: western boots, sneakers (branded with “Rhude” along the back), low-heel city boots, classic loafers, and a familiar suede style that Villaseñor jokingly described as “dehydrated Uggs—our flimsy boots!”
A large range does not guarantee versatility, yet for all the distinctive items—double-pocket cargos, skater-style leather pieces, utility-vest formal attire—the total looks did not seem fixed; there could have just as easily been other stylings.
Villaseñor explained the extra-large crests as his opportunity to conjure the Ivy League experience he never had. “Screaming my wishes,” he said. But with values “reinstated,” this show was as much about maintaining a nonchalant attitude as it was about having big aspirations. Unless a model was holding one of Rhude’s bags—streamlined shapes with minimal hardware—these guys all walked with hands in pockets; surely a way of underscoring a breezy confidence. Asked what feels most authentic to him, Villaseñor replied, “A pair of jeans, maybe a denim jacket, one big coat, and a pair of cowboy boots. That feels good to me right now. That feels truest.”
