Rose Mortem

Who is Rose Mortem?

Rose Mortem is the fashion label and nom de guerre of American fashion designer Rose Hemlock. She is married to front man Ashton Nyte, of the gothic rock band The Awakening. She is most widely known for her dark romantic fashion stylings and her involvement with underground music as a promoter, musician, and disc jockey.

Launching in 1998, the Rose Mortem fashion label has been featured in several publications including Mick Mercer's cult classic, 21st Century Goth. Rose also creates fashions for independent films and theatre productions. Use of velvets, chiffons, satins, tulles and lace with ripped netting, sharply angled hemlines, and layered skirting have become the label's trademark style. As a musician and promoter, Rose is linked most notably with legendary gothic rock band The Awakening of South Africa. She has worked on many tours and events for gothic rock, synthpop, and alternative rock musicians including Wolfsheim and The Mission UK; and held resident DJ positions under the name Mary Chain as tribute to post-punk rockers The Jesus and Mary Chain.

According to interviews with Rose, her designs are inspired greatly by musicians, ranging widely in style, from David Bowie to Loretta Lynn. The designer also draws on her studies of Bohemianism, Dark Romanticism, and love for the literature, art and music of the Decadent movement. Holding a degree in Business, she credits her knowledge of fashion design entirely to her mother and grandmother's instruction, and to her "youthful passion for dissecting thrift store wedding gowns." Rose attributes her creativity to her eccentric upbringing by a non-nuclear family of various artists, and her long-time obsession with "making fashions that feel like music."