Backstage at Rick Owens
Rick Owens always wears his influences on his sleeve, it’s how he brings them together and executes them that keeps his collections exciting and people guessing what he will present next. This season was no exception as he continued to explore his recent romance with the seventies.
Titled Performa there was a heavy dose of theatre to the collection with frightening sharp shoulders and Owens’ long established elongated arms across leopard printed satins, white and flurorescent snakeskins and patchworks. These streaks of attitude offset the base of greys and blues gently wrapped and draped around the body. Tailored jackets were cropped, some felted in grey in homage to Joseph Beuys, others in imposing blanket coats resembling Le Corbusier’s modular man, both artists being long term influences of the designer.
“…at 58, i find myself, for better or worse, performing. The difference between behaviour and performance implies falseness and rehearsal in the latter… Our instagram generation makes refining behaviour versus indulging in performance a weird new balancing act…”
Stand out pieces were knitwear traced in linear forms as a nod to what legendary designer and costumer Kansai Yamamoto had produced for Bowie in his seventies pomp, worn under seamless translucent vinyl hooded coats or double faced cashmere robes. Legs, arms and bodies were revealed in peeling knits in grey and blues in luxurious cashmere.
Swaggering platform boots with transparent heels and metal toe guards screamed seventies attitude echoing Lou Reed or KISS which continued with Owen’s customary black leather biker looks to round off a collection of Owens confrontational best.
Words DJ Titchener
Special Thanks to Hiroko at Pred PR Japan & Owens Corp.