Rick Owens brings his self-identification to the forefront for AW22.
Rick Owens is all about the emergence of self-identification this season. Taking inspiration from his openly glamasleazy past, the designer is on the mission of combining sex and kink with a utalitarian flare by creating exaggerated coats and jackets that act as a parody of masculinity one moment, and dominant anchors towards one’s own sense of style in another.
A sense of kinky anonymity takes over the collection with the presence of gimp mask-esque hoods that cover the face completely in a juxtaposingly dark and cosy manner. Such juxtaposition continues with helmets with fluorescent bulbs that shine on top of the models’ heads, inspired by Owens’ journey to Egypt, creating a playfully dark contrast of wanting to be anonymous, whilst also making one’s personality and expression stand out. Touching upon the utilisation of garments in multiple ways, the Drella coat (after Warhol’s nickname coined by disciple Ondine) can be worn belted around the hips or be thrown over the head poncho-style, bringing total versatility in action.
In his notes about the show, the designer also stressed the importance of using incredibly high quality leathers and cotton silk duchesse from Italy, artisanally created, alongside organic certified cotton that is used across jerseys and t-shirts. Owens doesn’t claim to be perfect in his sustainability, however he insists that the perfect balance lies in acknowledging the constant room to improve and push towards better practises. “I don’t mention all this out of virtuousness. We definitely have room to improve. I just like promoting the conversation fashion is having about responsibility. But the perfect balance of virtuousness and cheerful degeneracy has always been my holy grail.“
