Fri 27th September
A Rick Owens show always sends a powerful message into the world. Sometimes they’re a commentary on society like in the case of human rucksacks for SS16, and others – like last season – pay homage to the forgotten talent that paved the way for Owens’ own creativity. Yesterday was a political affair, perfectly in-tune with the conversations that envelop not only his brand, but everyone in the audience and beyond. In the political crisis we’re living in, walls keep growing between us – both figuratively and literally. The heightened tensions between nations create not only creative limitations but also constrict the freedom of movement that human interaction requires. And Rick Owens has got no time for all that b*llshit. He is a man of international ambitions and an international background, his mother migrating from Mexico to America in her youth. Owens didn’t beat around the bush – the SS20 show was his answer to Donald Trump’s dangerous anti-immigration ideas.
The heels were his usual rockstar height, the beauty looks a mix of odd and traditionally glam. Actually, the whole collection consistently walked the border between ordinary and extraordinary, and our perception of it. The half-bald heads accompanied simple column gowns and statement shoulders. Solid fabrics and sequins interchanged, as did fitted and boxy silhouettes. The Aztec-inspired geometric headpieces were a nod to Owens’ Mexican heritage – complex, intellectual and futuristic. It’s the only way he knows how to reference tradition. The pool surrounding the models in his usual Palais de Tokyo venue was this time filled with fairy liquid and water, as robed men and women let floats of bubbles into the air. A somewhat childish action surrounded these very adult-like clothes. Once again, a contrast of ideas that – only in Rick Owens’ hands – makes total sense.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
