“When I raise something provocative, it is always raised from warmth, kindness and love”
-Rick Owens
Undoubtedly, Rick Owens is one of the most creative designers we have in these times. Born in California, he created the brand under his own name in 1994 and began selling his collections at the well-known Barney’s store so that years later he began selling his collections to the general public.
His creativity in the designs made that in the year 2002 , gave the Perry Ellis Award to him to the best emerging talent. From that moment, he used the Paris Fashion Week to present his most controversial collections.
His style is a mixture of gothic and grunge, darkness and perfect cuts, asymmetry and his little defined silhouettes, with generally dark tones such as black or brown, which led and lead the designer to absolute success.
Despite being an explosively creative person, the truth is that his intention is not to play a leading role. Unintentionally, his own collections stand out for their avant-garde designs. He has always been the creator of controversial collections. But also, his designs passed to the big screen with the successful outfit that looked Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the city. A beautiful cardigan in grayish tone in the line of the designer.
Excellent skin worker, defines his designs as subtle and not as spectacular as we see. They are sexy and comfortable. So much that they have made Rick Owens have designed garments for the big Madonna or Courtney Love, declaring themselves as their number one fans.
With so much success, the press soon qualified his style: Glunge. But what does it mean? With the term Glunge refer to glamor, slash and grunge. That is, it mentions the dirty and the elegant in the same design. Making both ends collide with each other and create the perfect combination.
There is no gender. And he loves the idea. Rick Owens was alongside famous designers like Comme des Garçons and Ann Demeulemeester one of the pioneers in creating ambiguous garments that fit both men and women. He says that he is only interested in the point at which the two genders converge.
A noteworthy piece of Rick Owens although it may seem strange in him, is that it owns a line of gym machines and a series of totems with its own figure that deals in each of his stores.
When you create a brand, you’re telling a story, he says. This is demonstrated in one of his latest collections presented at the Paris Fashion Week this year, with abstract skirts (almost inspired by nun dresses) and angular pieces that seek to create architectural asymmetry.
“People wonder why I make monochrome garments, the reason being that I am representing the world. In this room, your head would be much more interesting if it were on a monochromatic column.I think people think about the outfits and are too demanding, I always imagine that a stalk, a trunk or a pillar is more beautiful than the line of a person standing in a room.
-Rick Owens
And as Suzy Menkes (the fabulous writer of Vogue) stresses in her latest article on the designer’s collection: The darkness had never been so bright.
Last Thursday, the movie The Devil Wears Prada, birth 10 years. On the occasion of its anniversary celebration, there is no better way to reminisce about the film that talking about the brand.
