I-D — THE DETRITUS OF GLAMOUR, THE LUXURY OF NOT CARING: DIRTY HABITS DIE HARD FOR LOS ANGELES DESIGNER RICK OWENS — ISSUE NO. 220, MAY 2022 — By JO-ANN FURNISS

AWAY FROM THE GLITTERING TURQUOISE POOLS OF DAVID HOCKNEY AND THE UNRELENTING 'HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD' MACROBIOTIC CHEERINESS, THERE IS OF COURSE ANOTHER LOS ANGELES. IT'S A CITY OF SUN BLEACHED AND PEELED GLAMOUR; LOUCHE, LEAN, DECADENT, DRUG ADDLED AND MORE THAN A BIT MALIGN. IT'S THE LA THAT THE DESIGNER RICK OWENS SEEMS TO OCCUPY AND EVOKE IN HIS CLOTHING. OWENS COULD HAVE BECOME A MODERN DAY EDITH HEAD IF HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO DO WARDROBE FOR DAVID LYNCH'S MULHOLLAND DRIVE; FROM 'THE BEAST' AT THE BACK OF THE DINER NEAR THE BINS (ONE OF HIS DISHEVELLED AND INFINITELY DESIRABLE MEN'S OVERCOATS WOULD HAVE WORKED A TREAT ON BEAST-MAN) TO ANY OF THE CAR­CRASHED/AMNESIAC/DEAD FEMALE LEADS (HIS SLINKY AND SCUFFED SILK FISHTAIL FROCKS HAVE ALL THE ELEGANTLY WORSE-FOR-WEAR QUALITIES REQUIRED). YET RICK OWENS HAS NOT EVEN SEEN THE FILM - HE JUST GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF BEING PART OF IT AND HIS AESTHETIC DIRECTLY REFLECTS BOTH THE SMOOTH SEDUCTIVE AND SLIGHTLY SINISTER MOOD OF THE MYTHOLOGISED CITY.

"DIRTY HABITS, THAT'S WHAT MY CLOTHING IS ALL ABOUT," SAYS THE MAN HIMSELF, LOOKING APPROPRIATELY UNKEMPT. "I MEAN, IT'S DIRTY CHIC, IT'S TOTALLY MESSED UP, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MESSING IT UP YOURSELF - I MESS IT UP FOR YOU. ALL THIS WONDERFUL CASHMERE IS ALREADY FUCKED UP ON YOUR BEHALF," HE SAYS, WAVING OVER TO HEAVING, LUXURIANT RAILS OF THE KNITTED STUFF. THE AIR IS THICK WITH CASHMERE MOTES - IT'S THE DETRITUS OF GLAMOUR WHICH, IN A WAY, IS WHAT RICK OWENS DEALS WITH. "THE CLOTHES ARE ERM... NOT SO SHINY. I GUESS THE WHOLE PHILOSOPHY [HE ADDS THROUGH GRITTED TEETH, KNOWING HOW IN STYLE HE SOUNDS] IS THAT IT'S NOT DAY OR NIGHT, IT'S RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH, THERE IS NO SPECIAL EVENT, IT'S ALL SPECIAL. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH IN THIS STUFF, GO TO DINNER AND THEN GO OUT. IT REALLY IS CALIFORNIA. SINCE I'VE TRAVELLED MORE, I SEE IT REALLY IS A UNIQUE THING. PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME 'I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO BE FROM LOS ANGELES AND DO THESE KIND OF CLOTHES.' [BELGIUM IS THE FIRST PLACE THAT SPRINGS TO MIND, NOT THE BEACH] BUT FOR ME THIS IS VERY LOS ANGELES."

TODAY, THE DESIGNER IS AWAY FROM HIS ADOPTED HOMETOWN; INSTEAD HE'S AT HIS SALES ROOM IN PARIS, IN A SIDE STREET A SHORT WAY FROM THE BUSTLE OF THE BASTILLE AREA. HE'S AWAITING THE DELIVERY OF TWO GIGANTIC ELEPHANT SKULLS. LIKE YOU DO. ALTHOUGH, IN HIS MATTER-OF-FACT, DEADPAN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN WAY, IT DOES SEEM TO BE A VERY 'LIKE YOU DO' ACTIVITY. "AND HERE THEY ARE, RIGHT ON CUE, THE SKULL DELIVERY. HA!" HE BEAMS WITH GLEE AS TWO DELIVERY MEN STUMBLE THROUGH THE DOORS WITH THE REMAINS. WHERE DOES A PERSON FIND SUCH THINGS? THE ELEPHANTS' GRAVEYARD? "I SWORE THAT I WOULD NEVER TELL," SAYS OWENS, ONLY HALF JOKING. AND HE DOESN'T. INSTEAD, HE ENTHUSIASTICALLY POINTS OUT THE SKULLS TO HIS BUYERS, MANY OF WHOM HE HAS A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH. THEY ARE NOT IN THE LEAST SURPRISED. LATER, HE WILL SAY THAT "I WANT THERE TO BE ALLURE IN WHAT I DO - FOR ME THAT'S WHAT FASHION IS ALL ABOUT," AND IN HIS OWN STRANGE, ELEGANT, YET JOKINGLY SELF-DEPRECATING WAY, RICK OWENS CERTAINLY HAS IT.

IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, OWENS' PRESENCE AS A DESIGNER SEEMS TO HAVE COME OUT OF NOWHERE. IN FACT HE HAS BEEN PRODUCING COLLECTIONS UNDER HIS OWN NAME SINCE 1994. THIS, IN MAIN PART, IS DUE TO THE SUPPORT OF ANNA WINTOUR AND AMERICAN VOGUE, WHO WENT ON TO SPONSOR HIS FIRST FULLY FLEDGED CATWALK SHOW IN NEW YORK THIS FEBRUARY. HIGH COMMERCIAL PRAISE INDEED FOR THE MAN WITH THE SECRET SUPPLY OF ELEPHANT SKULLS. BUT PERHAPS THE PICTURE PAINTED SO FAR IS NOT ENTIRELY THE CORRECT ONE. IN THESE TIMES OF COMMERCIAL RESTRAINT WITHIN THE POST-SEPTEMBER 11 FASHION INDUSTRY, OWENS' DESIGN FORMULA IS A WINNING ONE. DON'T BE FOOLED BY ALL THE WEST COAST WEIRDNESS (BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THERE IS A LOT OF THAT TOO), THE RICK OWENS' AESTHETIC IS NOT ABOUT BEING "AN ARTSYFARTSYFANCYPANTS". AS HE PUTS IT: "THERE IS A PRAGMATISM WHICH MAKES MY DESIGN VERY AMERICAN. BUT IT'S GOT A CERTAIN ROMANCE WHICH MAKES AMERICANS THINK OF EUROPE. MAYBE THAT IS THE RECIPE THAT WORKS." AND IT IS THIS RECIPE WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HIS SALES ROCKETING AND HIS STOCKISTS EXPANDING FROM EIGHT TO 90 STORES WORLDWIDE.

N TURN, THERE IS A STRICT TECHNICAL UNDERPINNING TO WHAT THE DESIGNER DOES. RICK OWENS FORMALLY SPECIALISED IN PATTERN CUTTING, ARGUABLY THE MOST RIGOROUS AND DIFFICULT ELEMENT OF FASHION DESIGN. HE ALSO CITES HISTORICAL INFLUENCES SUCH A VIONNET, FORTUNY AND GRES, FAMED FOR THEIR SCULPTURAL APPROACH TO DESIGN FOR THE BODY. IT ALL ADDS UP TO A STRICT SUBTLETY AND QUIETNESS IN THE CLOTHING: THE ELEGANT ELONGATED FORMS, THE SUBDUED PALETTE, THE CONCENTRATION ON LUXURIOUS YET EXPERIMENTAL FABRICATION. MIXED TOGETHER WITH THE DOWN-AT-HEEL ATMOSPHERE OF HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD: SEE ALL OF THE ABOVE RUN OVER BY A STOLEN CAR. OR, AS HE SAYS, "THERE IS SO MUCH STIMULATION IN THE WORLD THAT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THE ALTERNATIVE OF QUIET AND FAMILIARITY. NOT THE 'BEIGE RESERVE' OF SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO PLAY IT SAFE, BUT THE PLACE YOU FIND WHEN YOU'VE DONE ALL YOUR EXPLORING AND EXPERIMENTING. IT'S THE CONTENTMENT OF SATISFYING A HEALTHY APPETITE AND THE LUXURY OF NOT CARING."

‘BEIGE RESERVE' IS CERTAINLY NOT AN ACCUSATION EASILY LEVELLED AT THIS DESIGNER. HE'S ALSO DONE HIS FAIR BIT OF "EXPLORING AND EXPERIMENTING”. IT IS THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL/DISSIPATED APPEAL WHICH FUNDAMENTALLY COMES THROUGH IN THE CLOTHING. WITH A REFRESHINGLY UNGUARDED ATTITUDE, A HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOUR AND THE LACK OF A CIRCLING PR, HERE ARE SOME OF RICK OWENS' SECRETS TO HIS CURRENT SUCCESS.

ON ENTERING THE FASHION INDUSTRY, HE IS FRANK: "I JUST ALWAYS LIKED FASHION. I INITIALLY WENT TO LA TO GO TO ART SCHOOL. I DID PAINTING FOR TWO YEARS. THEN I NEEDED MONEY. YOU EITHER GET RICH AS A PAINTER OR YOU'RE BROKE FOREVER. I THOUGHT I'D BETTER DO SOMETHING I COULD MAKE SOME MONEY OFF OF, 'CAUSE THEM DIPTYQUE CANDLES DON'T GROW ON TREES. SO I WENT INTO FASHION."

WHICH LEADS TO WHERE HIS AESTHETIC INITIALLY CAME FROM: "I WAS ANALYSING WHAT MY CLOTHES ARE ABOUT. YOU REMEMBER THAT MOVIE, GUMMO? THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHERE I GREW UP IN PORTERVILLE, MY TOWN IS VERY LIKE THAT. IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE A MADE-UP NAME. I USED TO HANG OUT AT THE RIVER WITH FRIENDS, WEARING CUT-OFF LEVI'S AND LISTENING TO LYNARD SKYNARD AND LED ZEPPELIN, SMOKING POT AND DRINKING BEER. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS DISCOVERING FRENCH VOGUE, CLAUDE MONTANA AND THIERRY MUGLER. IT'S ALMOST A BLEND OF THOSE SEPARATE THINGS, I WAS DEFINITELY INSPIRED BY THAT WHOLE GLAMOUR THING, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITE CUT-OFF LEVI'S IN THERE. THERE'S LYNARD SKYNARD AND MAHLER ALL AT THE SAME TIME."

AND SO ONTO HIS CURRENT CHANGE IN FASHION FORTUNE: "YES, PARTLY IT WAS BECAUSE ANNA WINTOUR STEPPED IN. BUT THERE WAS A POINT WHERE I STOPPED DRINKING AND DOING DRUGS, WHICH CHANGED EVERYTHING. I'M NOT LIKE AN AAER AT ALL, I MEAN, I LOVED BEING A TOTAL ALCOHOLIC AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT, I HAVE LOTS OF GOOD STORIES BECAUSE OF IT. IT WAS JUST TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO HAPPEN, FOR ME TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS."

AND THEN AS HE EXPANDS HIS THOUGHTS ON ANNA WINTOUR: "EVERY TIME I SPEAK TO HER IT NEVER REALLY GOES SMOOTHLY. HOW DO YOU SAY 'THANK YOU' WITHOUT BEING TOO GUSHY? SO IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD. BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE WAS THIS PARTY I WENT TO LAST FASHION WEEK IN NEW YORK - IT WAS A DINNER FOR NICOLAS GHESQUIERE - ANYWAY, I WAS AT THAT. SO, AT ONE POINT, KATE MOSS WALKS IN WEARING ONE OF MY OUTFITS. FROM ACROSS THE ROOM I CAN SEE ANNA WINTOUR BEHIND KATE MOSS, AND SHE GOES LIKE THIS [PUTS ON A BIG GRIN AND LIFTS BOTH THUMBS UP HIGH], WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY ADORABLE AND GREAT. SHE'S JUST NOT THE KIND OF PERSON YOU CAN IMAGINE DOING THAT, IS SHE? I SORT OF LOOKED AROUND TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE SAW IT, AND THOUGHT 'WAS IT JUST ME OR WHAT?'"

WHICH, IN TURN, LEADS TO HIS SHOOT WITH ANNIE LEIBOVITZ FOR AMERICAN VOGUE (BEAR WITH US HERE): "DO YOU KNOW KEMBRA PFAHLER FROM THE BAND THE VOLUPTUOUS HORROR OF KAREN BLACK? SHE'S THIS NEW YORK PUNK ROCK ICON AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. SHE'S INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. HER LOOK IS ALL-BLUE BODY PAINT, HUGE HAIR AND HER TEETH ARE ALL BLACKED OUT WITH SILVER FOIL AND MARKER. SHE HAS THESE BLACK CAT EYES AND IS COMPLETELY SHAVED AND NAKED EXCEPT FOR THIGH-HIGH BOOTS. FOR THE FINALE OF HER SHOW SHE DOES TWO THINGS. THE FIRST IS THIS HANDSTAND, WHERE SHE SPREADS HER LEGS AND SOMEBODY CRACKS EGGS IN HER VAGINA. THAT'S WHILE SHE'S SINGING. THE SECOND IS CALLED THE 'WALL OF VAGINA' WHERE ALL OF THE GIRLS IN THE BAND LIE FACE DOWN ON TOP OF EACH OTHER WITH THEIR LEGS SPREAD TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. KEMBRA LIES ON TOP. THEN SOMEBODY COMES ALONG AND SQUIRTS YOGHURT INTO KEMBRA'S TWAT AND IT DRIPS DOWN ONTO THE OTHER GIRLS AND THAT'S CALLED THE 'WALL OF VAGINA' [WITH A BROAD GRIN FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT]. ANYWAY, IN THIS ANNIE LEIBOVITZ SHOOT FOR AMERICAN VOGUE, IT'S ME AND KEMBRA - NO, THEY WOULDN'T DO THE 'WALL OF VAGINA' - THEY ASKED WHO I WANTED IN THE PICTURE AND I SAID KEMBRA, OF COURSE. SHE'S SO GENIUS. SHE ALSO DOES THIS THING WHERE SHE SINGS THE THEME FROM TITANIC - MY HEART WILL GO ON - WHILE CRAWLING ACROSS THE STAGE WITH BOWLING BALLS TAPED TO HER FEET."

AND SO IT GOES ON. AND THERE'S MUCH MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. AFTER ENTHUSING ABOUT THE 'WALL OF VAGINA', IT MIGHT SEEM ODD WHEN RICK OWENS PROCLAIMS: "SOMETIMES I THINK MY CLOTHES HAVE AN ARMANI QUALITY TO THEM, WHERE ANYBODY CAN WEAR THEM. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE WAS THAT SIDE TO IT, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO LIVE UP TO." BUT THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE ATTRACTION IN HIS CLOTHING: THERE'S THE PERSONAL AND THE HUMAN ALONGSIDE THE BLUE-PAINTED PUNK ROCK. AS HE SAYS, "THE CLASSICAL ALWAYS WORKS. GOING BACK TO PATTERN CUTTING AND THAT BASIS OF PRECISION, WHEN I WAS AT ART SCHOOL THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET ALL ABSTRACT ALMOST STRAIGHT AWAY. BUT A LOT OF THESE KIDS COULDN'T REALLY DRAW, SO HOW COULD THEY DO THAT? IN ALL THINGS I FUNDAMENTALLY THINK YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RULES TO KNOW HOW TO BREAK THEM." AND THIS SEEMS TO BE PRECISELY WHAT RICK OWENS IS DOING.