Rick·O·chet | Fashion’s Dark Prophet Supplants the Mood of the Moment

Rick Owens shot by Nick Knight for Showstudio.com and Arena Homme +

5 years ago Rick Owens represented a small niche business of luxury leathers and knits, appealing to a smattering of men who heard of the designer by way of their savvy girlfriends and their penchant for deconstructed furs and villainous Star Trek get ups. Few years before that, he was an even fainter blimp on the radar: a small L.A. eccentric with an incredible set of patterning skills, newly championed by the editor of Vogue. Since Anna Wintour plucked the hesitant designer from the west coast and brought his work to a larger audience in NYC, his influence has steadily gained and now his raw, gothic and street aesthetics have become ubiquitous, giving form to the dark albeit wealthy fashionistas in need of projecting their inner turmoil. In the days since Helmut Lang removed himself from the industry he has provided a new generation with his own kind of urban futurism: Owens anticipates a world that is in fact as cold and harsh as we fear, but resilient against this, or maybe even celebratory of it, he has found a way of designing luxury, opulence, sensuality and desire into it.

It’s an understatement to say that Owens is the most copied womenswear designer of the moment. Over the past few seasons almost every apparel company trying to stay current has referenced his take on jerseys, leathers, georgettes, and fur — his strip of ribbed knit pieced in the sleeve that allows an impossibly fitted taper, his dripping cashmeres, his fly away panels that abstract the torso into a draped Hellenic beauty — It’s a look that can be found high and low, near and far, at Barney’s or the bargain bin, and it has begun to spread to men’s fashion.

Rick Owens S/S 2010 Men’s Collection

What was only a side business has now erupted into two annual fashion shows and huge retail accounts across the globe. Largely based on Owen’s own wardrobe, he has taken active wear staples (oversized shorts, basketball sneakers, tank tops) and has fabricated them in rich cashmeres, exotic skins and fine leathers. Owens’ futurist twist is always present so the asymmetrical fold, flap, snap, or drape sets a mood that has become as definitive as the designer’s long dark locks and macabre mystery. Along with those “basics” Owens finds that his signature leather jackets are just as much of a hit with the boys, and along with his towering sneakers, his tailored suiting and a range of knitwear, Owens has espoused his ideals with a full wardrobe.

looks from Tim Hamilton S/S 2010, Odyn Vovk S/S 2010, and All Saints F/W 2009

Endemic to any individualistic designer who enjoys success, Owens has inspired a slew of young designers who have found their voice in his work but whether this is a productive development is arguable. Owens has brought about a new look, a new taste level, and most importantly a new idea of luxury. The fact that so many other designers are reveling in his discoveries is a good indicator of progress. But is it also stifling? And isn’t there a looming knowledge that a hot and pervasive designer will inevitably become cold and tired? Owens’ look is no longer his own, it has been added to the codes of dress for urban living, disseminated across all markets and regions.
In that sense the future has arrived, our contemporary dress has quietly kept pace with the ephemeral world, but Owens and his clout as part of the avant-garde, will have to find new territories to explore as everyone else is gaining on his trail.

links:  rickowens.eu |  timhamilton.com | odynvovk.com |  allsaints.com

Jeremy Lewis manages and edits NUEVE MUSAS, a fashion blog for progressive discourse and lateral thinking.

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