Meet Rick Owens, President of the Anti-Intolerance Fashion League.
His sensational and deeply moving show on Thursday at his Paris home and headquarters flew the flag for dark, radical Darth Vader-style attire that might give the average person chills, but that represents dignity, defiance and, above all, hope. .
Consider their pumpkin-shaped puffers that almost swallow your head, or those that look like two anvils resting on your shoulders, a new version of revenge dressing, against the standardized and unattainable aesthetic exemplified by the obligatory duty-free beauty aisles. at airports. and metaphorically against the greed and intolerance that Owens believes are at the root of all wars.
The same goes for their fierce, eye-catching biker leathers, their oversized cardigans big enough to fit two or three grandparents, and their beloved donut loops, here in long-haired, sheared goatskin and creating a silhouette similar to a candy apple on a stick.
Owens writes the most eloquent show notes in all of fashion, calling the proportions of his fall menswear “grotesque and inhuman in a howling reaction to some of the most disappointing human behavior we will witness in our lifetime.”
He titled the show “Porterville” as a nod to the intolerances he experienced as a “quirky, sensitive kid” growing up in that small California town, but which pale in comparison to what is happening in Ukraine and Gaza. He considered the small, intimate show to be a “respectful movement in observance of the barbaric times we live in.”
As a fashion designer, Owens sees his role as presenting “alternatives” as a “counterweight” to what airport beauty aisles tout. “It's making fun of the banal, making fun of intolerance and making fun of what is considered in good taste and what is considered appropriate,” he said in his natural accent.
As the models strolled through the high-ceilinged salons—their parquet floors badly in need of polishing and the paint grayish-white and crusty on the decorative moldings—you could hear their strange, balloon-shaped stretch boots rubbing together on the yearning David Bowie. . track “Warszawa”.
The alien-like inflatable footwear enhanced the show's futuristic vibe, as did the furry superhero capes and astronaut suits, which made one think of Chewbacca getting a crew cut and a promotion.
Owens acknowledged that futurism is present in many of his collections because it implies a search for utopia: “a frustration with the status quo, with the way things are and a longing to be in a more magical place,” he said.
Imagine how awesome it would be if Owens dressed up a sci-fi movie like “Star Wars,” even though the average person might not immediately realize he's dressing up the good guys.
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