A true multi-hyphenate, the list of things that Matty Matheson is already known for is extensive. They include: being a chef and restaurateur, authoring multiple books, hosting television shows and most recently acting as producer and guest star of TV show The Bear. Now he’s venturing into the world of clothing design with his new brand, Rosa Rugosa. As a long-time workwear devotee for both fashion and functional purposes, Matty – together with co-founder and designer Ray Natale – is creating garments that he can wear in the kitchen, on the street or at home; garments that people of all sizes and in all trades can feel good in.
With a focus on being Canadian-made, and based out of a studio in his beloved Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Matty just wants to do and create things of substance. “Restaurants are real, feeding people is real, making clothes is real,” he says, “that’s the coolest thing in the world to me. I can feed somebody and clothe them. I can make books that people can read and learn how to cook for themselves – that’s the realest shit to me”. Never lost for a food reference, Matty compares this new undertaking to the philosophy of a house wine: “We may change colours, we may change fabric, we may change weights, but we want what we create to be staples.” “We just get right back down to the basics and think about a pair of pants in its most simplistic form and still make an amazing garment that speaks to a whole mass of people,” Ray adds. “It doesn’t have to be overthought. You just have to pay attention to the simple details and do them right. Get the right tools. And make it fucking tight!”.
To toast the launch of his new line, we spoke to Matty and Ray about his punk and hardcore influences and the perfect simplicity of a roast chicken, of course…
Hi guys! So, what inspired you to start a clothing line?
Matty Matheson: I think, being from Canada, I never felt like there was that hometown pride of Toronto-made workwear. People in LA are out there wearing Dickies; on the east coast, they wear Carhartt; and then like, where do we belong? And I’m somebody that has always worn workwear and felt good in it. And it looks good on bigger dudes! It was just a thing that I felt comfortable in from a very early age. I wanna make simple clothing that’s made well, that’s durable, that looks nice and feels good!
Who is Rosa Rugosa for?
MM: It’s truly for anybody. It’s for people that are just doing things. People that are working towards something that drives them. As I get a little bit older, I want to wear less. I just wanna get to that point where I’m wearing a uniform. I wanna wear the same pair of pants, the same kind of shirt every day. And now you can do that and have a different colour or a different material or a different fabric. I would love for construction workers or electricians, or just real people that buy workwear, to wear Rosa Rugosa.
So would you describe it as a fashion brand?
MM: No. It’s fashion by default because it’s clothing I guess, but it’s actually functional. I don’t think we will ever need to go to Paris to do a fashion show, you know? That’s not what I’m doing it for. Like, I’ve never been to a fashion show in my life – maybe one day someone would like to invite me to one though!
Designing function first, what were some of the things that you focused on?
Ray Natale: The details. It’s the simplicity that makes it what it is. It’s workwear, so it’s not about all the crazy zippers and the elastic straps. It’s about being well made, paying attention to detail. Is the double-needle stitching straight? Are those mitred corners there? We’ve really gone over every single detail a thousand times, asking: How can we make it better? We look at all the brands that we’re inspired by, and looking at those pieces, we’re not reinventing the wheel – we’re just elevating what’s out there.
How do you improve on a classic?
MM: I always go back to food. It’s like, the best roast chicken is your mom’s roast chicken, you know, or whatever dish that you grew up eating. And we’re just trying to make what makes us feel good. It’s not about reinventing the wheel. It’s just like, can I make the same wheel just as good? It isn’t easy to do something that’s simple. It’s not easy to roast a chicken perfectly. Simple is hard. What we’re trying to do is do a simple thing, as best as we can.
You grew up in a small town influenced by hardcore and punk culture. How would you describe the evolution of your style? What do you like to wear now? Do you have a uniform?
MM: I like dirty, ripped-up T-shirts, and I usually wear a vintage trucker hat of some sort. Now I just wear Rosa Rugosa pants and shitty Vans. More than ever, I want to feel like me. And that’s the thing, you can still be creative and do beautiful, thoughtful things and still be rough. You don’t have to have a fucking Saint Laurent white T-shirt, you know? You don’t have to wear a watch. You don’t have to have the fucking coolest brand-new shoe. It’s way cooler to have your own shit and have your own style, and it’s way cooler to not be a billboard.
As a bigger guy, and with Rosa Rugosa being a unisex clothing brand, what were some things you wanted to be mindful of in terms of fit and silhouette?
MM: Well, every piece of clothing I have, I tailor it. I cut it. I trim it. I hem it. I taper it. I pull it in, take it out, you know? Personally, I’ve never been able to buy a T-shirt or anything off the rack and wear it. We go up to a size 52 pant, and our inches are real. So 28 inches is 28 inches. 32 inches is 32 inches. We are true to the ruler. And as somebody who wears a size 52, it’s like, I don’t care that I wear a 52. It doesn’t make me feel defeated. It doesn’t make me feel sad. Doesn’t make me feel anything. Yeah. That’s my size. Your measurement is your measurement, it’s not who you are. Lots of humbling moments here at Rosa Rugosa!
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Credits
Portrait photography Kristie Muller
Lookbook images courtesy of Rosa Rugosa