MAY 2018

VOGUE CHINA — A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO FALL — MAY 2018 — BY MENGYUN WAN

WITH HIS LONG HAIR AND LOOSE DECADENT BLACK CLOTHES, THE PERSONAL IMAGE OF RICK OWENS IS AS CLEAR AS HIS BRAND STYLE. AS OWENS RELEASES HIS COLLABORATION WITH BIRKENSTOCK, WE VISITED HIS PARIS STUDIO FOR A CONVERSATION WITH THIS PECULIAR TALENT.

PARIS ON SUNDAY MORNING IS ESPECIALLY LONELY. DRENCHED IN RAIN, I ARRIVED AT THE DOOR OF RICK OWENS’ STUDIO. THE NEARBY SQUARE EXUDES THE ELEGANCE UNIQUE TO THE LEFT BANK OF PARIS. BUT THERE WAS NO ONE AROUND. THE DOOR WAS NOT LOCKED, SO I QUIETLY PUSHED IT OPEN AND ENTERED THE DESIGNER'S STUDIO AND HOME. THIS BUILDING, BUILT IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY, HAS A GLORIOUS HISTORY (IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY, AND FORMER PRESIDENT MITTERRAND PREVIOUSLY HAD HIS OFFICE HERE). AFTER OWENS MOVED IN, THE INTERIOR DECORATION WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED, LEAVING THE WALLS BARE. IT FEELS LIKE THE RENOVATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN FINISHED, BUT IN FACT THE PLACE IS ALREADY COMPLETED.

A MAVERICK DESIGNER LIVING IN AN ICY ENVIRONMENT, THIS WAS HOW I PREVIOUSLY IMAGINED RICK OWENS. I DIDN’T EXPECT THAT THE FIRST PERSON I MET IN HIS HOME TURNED OUT TO BE AN ASSISTANT HOLDING HIS OWN CHILD. HE TOLD ME THAT THE DESIGNER HAD GONE OUT FOR BREAKFAST WITH HIS MOTHER AND WOULD BE COMING BACK SOON. AT THIS POINT, TWO LIVELY CATS WERE RUNNING AROUND BENEATH MY FEET. THE SUBSEQUENT APPEARANCE OF THE DESIGNER HIMSELF PROVIDED MORE EVIDENCE. THIS LOOK BEHIND THE SCENE SHOWED A DIFFERENT AND RELAXED SIZE TO OWENS.

WE WENT UPSTAIRS TO HIS STUDIO. UNLIKE MANY OF HIS PEERS, HE HAS NEVER HIRED A TEAM OF DESIGNERS. “WHY LET OTHER PEOPLE DO WHAT I LIKE DOING MYSELF?" AFTER MOVING TO PARIS IN 2003, OWEN WORKED ON HIS COLLECTIONS BY HIMSELF IN THIS OPEN SPACE BEFORE SENDING HIS DESIGNS TO A FACTORY NEAR VENICE FOR PATTERN MAKING.

HE MAY BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT OVER MANY YEARS, HIS DESIGN STYLE HAS NOT REALLY CHANGED. “THIS IS THE BIGGEST TRIUMPH OF MY LIFE. THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS OFTEN FLASHY AND WITHOUT SUBSTANCE. BUT I JUST USED THIS COLOR PALETTE AND RHYTHM IN MY WORK, AND EVERYONE ACCEPTED IT.” OWENS JUST RELEASED HIS 2018 FALL AND WINTER COLLECTION A FEW DAYS AGO, AND THE GARMENT RACKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLEARED AWAY. THE SKY OUTSIDE THE WINDOW IS DARK, MAKING THE ROWS OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ON THE ROOF APPEAR PARTICULARLY BRIGHT. AFTER ALL, YOU NEED SUCH STRONG LIGHTING IN ORDER TO SEE THE SUBTLE VARIATIONS IN HIS DARK BLACK PALETTE. “TRUST ME, WE HAVE ENDLESS DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLACK.”

HOWEVER, IT IS THIS DEDICATION THAT KEEPS HIS DESIGNS SO EXCITING. BIRKENSTOCK’S CEO OLIVER REICHERT HAS PRAISED OWENS AS “A CREATOR WITH SOMETHING TO SAY AND WITH A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.” ACCORDING TO REICHERT, “THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO FASHION, BUT ALSO INCLUDES ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DECORATION. HE HAS BROUGHT A NEW PERSPECTIVE TO OUR COLLABORATION.”

RICK OWENS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN A SMALL TOWN IN CALIFORNIA THAT HE ONCE DESCRIBED AS “A PRISON.” FOR COLLEGE, HE WENT TO LOS ANGELES TO STUDY ART. ALTHOUGH HE HADN’T STUDIED FASHION DESIGN SYSTEMATICALLY, IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING GRADUATION, HE WORKED IN A PATTERNS FACTORY FOR CHEAP COPIES OF FAMOUS BRANDS. THROUGH THIS, HE MASTERED A CRAFT THAT MANY DESIGNERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF. THE DRAPED SKIRTS AND SCULPTED BIKER JACKETS THAT HAVE BECOME THE SIGNATURE OF HIS BRAND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THIS EXPERIENCE.

THE SURFACE IS DECEDENT, BUT THE TEXTURE IS STILL LUXURIOUS. EVEN IN THE EARLY DAYS OF HIS BRAND IN THE 1990S, OWENS ALWAYS USED THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF LEATHER AND CASHMERE. HE WOULD PUT THESE FABRICS THROUGH THE WASHING MACHINE AND DRYER, SO THEY WOULD NOT APPEAR AS OSTENTATIOUS AS TRADITIONAL LUXURY GOODS WHEN WORN, WHILE CONVEYING A HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY. AT THE TIME, HIS GIRLFRIEND (NOW WIFE) MICHÈLE LAMY WAS RUNNING A POPULAR LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT AND ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF FAMOUS CUSTOMERS WHILE WEARING OWENS’ DESIGNS. THIS WAS OWENS’ BREAK INTO THE WORLD OF FASHION.

MANY DESIGNERS ARE NOT GOOD AT OR DON’T LIKE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN LANGUAGE, BUT OWENS IS NOT LIKE THIS. HIS TYPICAL SENTENCE MIGHT CONTAIN THREE OR FOUR “BUTS,” CONSTANTLY OVERTURNING HIS PREVIOUS REMARKS AND IDEAS. FOR EXAMPLE, “I THINK THAT THESE ACTIONS ARE TOO RHETORICAL, JUST RELYING ON WORDS IS NOT ENOUGH. BUT THERE ARE ALSO OUTSTANDING WRITERS WHO HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD, SO WHAT I JUST SAID IS STUPID.” OBVIOUSLY, ALTHOUGH HE IS FIRM IN HIS DESIGN LANGUAGE, HIS THINKING IS NOT RIGID AT ALL. ON THE CONTRARY, HE IS FAMILIAR WITH HIS OWN LIMITATIONS AND CONTRADICTIONS, AND SENSITIVE TO HIS HYPOCRISY AND VANITY.

WE STARTED BY SITTING ON THE SOFA, WITH HIS CHOICE OF JAZZ MUSIC INTERMINGLING WITH THE RAIN OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. FROM CHILDHOOD, HE WORSHIPED THE FILMMAKER CECIL B. DEMILLE, AND GERMAN NUDIST BOOKS FROM THE 1930S. HE MENTIONED THE YOUNG ESTONIAN RAPPER TOMMY CASH WHO HAD JUST COME TO DINNER LAST NIGHT (“YOU MUST LOOK UP HIS VIDEOS!”), AND A FEW THINGS THAT WERE REALTY UNEXPECTED (HE’S A FAN OF AGATHA CHRISTIE). THE CONVERSATION DEVELOPED NATURALLY AS WE SWITCHED BETWEEN TOPICS …

YOU INSIST ON THE INDEPENDENT STANCE OF YOUR BRAND. WHEN YOU SEE OTHER BRANDS CONSTANTLY CHANGING DESIGNERS, DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS AN OUTSIDE OBSERVER?”

EVERYONE IN THE INDUSTRY SAYS THAT “I'M NOT A FASHION PERSON.” OF COURSE, I AM, BUT IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FASHION WORLD, AND THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT. TO BE HONEST, I THINK THE MORE CHAOTIC THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS, THE MORE WE CAN EXPRESS OUR OWN VALUES AND GIVE OURSELVES INTEGRITY. I DON'T LIKE TO CRITICIZE ANYTHING. FASHION IS ABOUT TRANSMITTING MESSAGES. MAYBE THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY.

BUT IF YOU CHANGE YOUR DESIGNER EVERY FEW SEASONS, WHAT ARE YOU ABLE TO COMMUNICATE?

MAYBE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. IF THE PUBLIC DOES NOT PARTICIPATE, THESE THINGS WILL NOT HAPPEN. THEY ARE PART OF THE SHOW. IN THE PAST PEOPLE ALWAYS USED TO ASK ME. “THE FASHION WORLD IS OBSESSED WITH SOME TWISTED DEFINITIONS OF 'BEAUTY.’ WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” BUT IF THERE IS NO DEMAND, THEN THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. BRANDS ARE NOT ABLE TO LEAD PUBLIC OPINION, IN FACT THEY ARE SHAPED BY IT.

SO, DO YOU FOLLOW PUBLIC OPINION?

MY ADVANTAGE IS THAT I DO NOT HAVE TO SATISFY AS MANY PEOPLE. A BIG BRAND NEEDS TO SERVE MANY PEOPLE. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I ONLY NEED TO PLEASE A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.

AND THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE IS ALSO THE LOYAL FAN BASE THAT YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED.

BUT THIS IS NOT MY INVENTION. LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY, THIS AESTHETIC HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS FOLLOWERS. I JUST EXTENDED THIS A

ESTHETIC NICHE.

GIVEN THE RESOURCES OF THE BIG BRANDS, HAVE YOU EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT LEADING A FASHION HOUSE?

NO, AND IN FACT THEY ARE NOT BANGING DOWN MY DOOR EITHER! BUT THAT IS REALLY A HUGE STAGE, THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE, AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS. I DON’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEAL WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS. JUST DEALING WITH THE FIVE PEOPLE IN MY COMPANY IS ENOUGH. I WOULD DIE IF I HAD TO FACE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE EVERY DAY. ALSO, GOING TO ANOTHER BRAND MEANS WORKING FOR OTHER PEOPLE. I COULDN’T DO THAT.

HAVE YOU NOT WORKED FOR OTHERS?

OF COURSE, I HAVE WORKED AT MCDONALD’S BEFORE. MY LIFE IS ACTUALLY AT A VERY LOW LEVEL. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BEFORE. BUT AT THE CURRENT STAGE OF MY LIFE, I WOULDN’T BE COMFORTABLE AS AN EMPLOYEE HAVING TO SEEK THE CONSENT OF OTHERS AND TO COMPROMISE. I WOULD RATHER HAVE MY OWN SPACE AND BE THE KING OF MY OWN LITTLE CORNER.

BY PLACING YOURSELF ON THE OUTSIDE, WILL YOU STILL BE AFFECTED BY THE INDUSTRY?

THIS IS A BUSINESS AFTER ALL, SO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE INDUSTRY WILL STILL AFFECT ME. I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT I AM NOT AGAINST THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. I JUST SAID THAT I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO COPE WITH IT.

AMONG THE BRANDS THAT HAVE THE LOUDEST VOICES AT THE MOMENT, THERE ARE MANY DESIGNERS WHO DO NOT HAVE A BACKGROUND IN APPAREL DESIGN. NOWADAYS EVEN A CREATIVE DIRECTOR CAN ESTABLISH A BRAND.

I THINK THIS IS VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE THIS IS CROSSING BOUNDARIES, AND RESISTING THE CURRENT MOLD IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE NEXT GENERATION SHOULD DO. THEY NEED TO OVERTHROW THE PREVIOUS GENERATION.

WHAT GENERATION DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PART OF?

HAHA, I AM DEFINITELY FROM THE OLDER GENERATION! I HAVE ALREADY BECOME A PART OF THE SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH I AM AT THE VERY EDGE OF THE SYSTEM.

RIGHT, LAST YEAR YOU WON THE CFDA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. YOUR FIRST SHOW IN 2001 WAS SUPPORTED BY ANNA WINTOUR AND SPONSORED BY VOGUE.

RIGHT, SO I SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN EXTREME SYSTEM INSIDER (LAUGHS)

BUT IN YOUR OWN EYES, YOU ARE STILL FIGHTING AND PROVOKING. ARE YOU A SUBVERSIVE?

BECAUSE I’M AN INDEPENDENT BRAND, I CAN DO SOME BOLDER THINGS. INDEED, A PART OF ME IS REBELLIOUS AND WANTS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING. AND THIS TYPE OF FEELING SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN STRONGER RECENTLY. I AM AWARE OF CULTURAL REGRESSION. WHERE DID THESE VOICES ON THE INTERNET THAT ARE QUICK TO CRITICIZE AND JUDGE COME FROM? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TOLERANCE AND COMPASSION WE LEARNED ABOUT? I FEEL VERY DISAPPOINTED, I FEEL FRUSTRATED. SO, I NAMED MY SERIES SISYPHUS (A SYNONYM FOR WASTED EFFORT IN ANCIENT GREEK CULTURE). YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE MADE PROGRESS, BUT ACTUALLY YOU ARE STILL MOVING BACKWARDS.

YOUR WORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DARK. IS THIS HOW YOU SEARCH FOR POSITIVE ENERGY, OR ARE YOU REALISTIC ABOUT DARK THINGS?

I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS … I DON’T THINK MY DESIGNS ARE PARTICULARLY DARK. INSTEAD, THEY EMBODY A KIND OF REALISM AND PRESENT A CERTAIN IDEA ABOUT BEAUTY. THE WORLD HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE HOMOGENOUS. EVERYONE THINKS MY WORK IS WEIRD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK: DON'T YOU REMEMBER SURREALISM, CUBISM, DADAISM? I’M NOTHING IN COMPARISON! WHEN I SEE CURRENT MUSICIANS, I WILL THINK, ISN’T THERE ANYTHING MORE INTERESTING? WHERE’S THE NEXT DAVID BOWIE? THINK ABOUT IT, THE INTERNET IS AS POWERFUL AS BOWIE, IT’S AUTHORITATIVE BECAUSE IT HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES IN BOTH AN AESTHETIC AND CULTURAL SENSE. THAT’S IT, THE INTERNET IS THE NEW BOWIE!

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO THINKS A LOT.

FOR SURE, MAYBE I THINK TOO MUCH.

BUT WILL THIS AFFECT HOW YOU JUDGE DESIGNS AND MAKE YOU MORE HESITANT?

NO. IN FACT, INTERVIEWS HAVE BECOME QUITE AWKWARD FOR ME, BECAUSE I DON’T FEEL THAT I’VE CHANGED OVER THE PAST DECADE. I KNOW MY DIRECTION AND WHO I AM. AFTER SO MANY YEARS, THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ME ALREADY KNOW ABOUT ME. THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW ME ARE EITHER TOO YOUNG OR AREN’T INTERESTED IN ME AT ALL. SHOULD I REFUSE INTERVIEWS AND MAKE MYSELF MORE MYSTERIOUS?

OF COURSE NOT. MANY DESIGNERS ARE NOT GOOD AT EXPRESSING THEMSELVES, BUT YOU ARE VERY ELOQUENT.

ALL RIGHT, I ALSO THINK I WILL KEEP ON DOING THEM. THAT WAY I CAN CONTINUE PROMOTING THE IDEAS OF COMPASSION AND TOLERANCE. I AM NOT A SAINT. I ALSO JUDGE OTHERS. IN FACT, I AM VERY HYPOCRITICAL. BUT WE ALL HAVE OUR FAULTS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU WORK HARD TO MAKE UP FOR YOUR FAULTS AND DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE BOUND BY THEM.

DO YOU OFTEN RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES?

OCCASIONALLY I GO TO NEW YORK TO RECEIVE PRIZES HAHA. BUT I HAVEN’T RETURNED TO LOS ANGELES IN 18 YEARS. I HAVEN’T EVEN VISITED MY STORE THERE. IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T CARE. I HAVE A MODEL OF THE STORE HERE, AND THE FURNITURE INSIDE WAS ALL ARRANGED BY ME. I AM INSPIRED TO DO SOME THINGS FOR THE BRAND, BUT THIS IS LIMITED.

WHY ARE YOU SO RELUCTANT TO RETURN HOME?

I DON'T KNOW. IT'S WEIRD. I'VE NEVER HAD AN ANSWER. EMOTIONALLY, IT’S A CHALLENGE. MAYBE I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK AND SEE OLD FRIENDS AND TALK ABOUT THE PAST. I DON’T LIKE TO BE SENTIMENTAL.

BUT AT THE END OF LAST YEAR YOU PLANNED A RETROSPECTIVE OF YOUR OWN WORK AT THE AT THE TRIENNALE DI MILANO.

YES, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT MOVING FORWARD. I TOLD MY STORY THROUGH MY CONDITION AND EMOTIONS AT THE TIME. THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT RELATED TO WHO I WAS AT THE TIME. I ABANDONED ALL OF THE MISTAKES I MADE, EMPHASIZING ONLY THE BEST THINGS. THIS IS LIKE CREATING A NEW COLLECTION AND SOLIDIFYING MY VISION. I SHOWED MYSELF IN THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT, LIKE A MAGNIFICENT PRETENDER. AND TO SOME EXTENT, WE ARE ALL LIKE THIS. WE ARE ALL REINVENTING OURSELVES.

DO YOU READ THE REVIEWS OF YOUR OWN SHOWS, AND WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO BAD REVIEWS?

YES, I READ THEM. A LOT OF THE TIME, THEY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WILL ALSO IGNORE THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY WHEN APPROPRIATE. EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT AESTHETIC TASTES. MY PURPOSE IS TO ADVOCATE FOR CHOICES OUTSIDE OF ORDINARY AESTHETICS. SOME PEOPLE WILL HATE THIS. I WELCOME THIS. BECAUSE I ATTACK THEIR NARROW DEFINITION OF “BEAUTY.” OF COURSE, THE CHOICES I OFFER ARE NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT. THEY ARE JUST PROPOSALS. THIS IS MY CONTRIBUTION.

WE PREVIOUSLY TALKED ABOUT THE RECOGNITION YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN THE INDUSTRY. WHEN YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A PART OF YOU THAT WAS EAGER TO GET PUBLIC RECOGNITION.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS IS VERY NARCISSISTIC. YOU ARE SAYING: WHAT I WANT TO EXPRESS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO IT. THIS MAKES ME FEEL ASHAMED. WHERE DOES THIS CONVICTION COME FROM? HOW CAN I FEEL THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO ME? BUT WHENEVER YOU CREATE AND SHOW YOUR WORK TO OTHERS, WHAT YOU ASK FOR IS TO BE RECOGNIZED. THIS IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.

HOW DID YOUR COLLABORATION WITH A BIG COMPANY LIKE BIRKENSTOCK START?

ONE DAY THEY SUDDENLY GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME.

HAVE YOU BEEN ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THIS BRAND?

YES, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD RESPECT FOR THEM. THEY STICK TO THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE AND HAVE BEEN MAKING THE SAME PRODUCT FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. YOU MUST HAVE RESPECT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAYED TRUE AND HONEST FOR SO LONG. I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT THE PRODUCT IMAGE FOLLOWS FROM ITS FUNCTIONALITY. THE FIRST TIME I MET WITH THEM, I SAID THAT BIRKENSTOCK MADE ME THINK OF HEALTH AND AN APPRECIATION OF NATURE, AND OF AN EXTREMELY POSITIVE APPROACH TO HUMAN NATURE.

WHAT PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY THIS COLLABORATION?

I DECIDED TO CREATE A DESIGN THAT MAKES THE MAXIMUM IMPACT WITH THE MINIMUM DISRUPTION. I STUDIED THEIR DESIGNS AND MADE SOME CHANGES BASED ON THAT. I LENGTHENED THE STRAPS SO THEY WERE ALMOST DRAGGING ON THE GROUND, BECAUSE AFTER EXAMINING MY OWN WORK, I FOUND THAT I WOULD ELONGATE THINGS BEYOND THEIR ORIGINAL SIZE. FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MY DESIGN LANGUAGE, MY OWN THINKING SHOULD GO BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES SET BY OTHERS.

ASIDE FROM DESIGNING YOUR LA STORE, YOU HAVE ALSO OPENED A POP-UP STORE?

I USUALLY LIKE TO MAKE THINGS VERY BIG. SOME PEOPLE ASK ME HOW I DESIGN SUCH A LIMITED SPACE. BUT I’M OBSESSED WITH HOW LE CORBUSIER DEIGNED HIS OWN VACATION HOME IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. IT’S VERY SMALL AND VERY REFINED, JUST LIKE THE CARRIAGES ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

DO YOU LIKE CLOSED SPACES?

I HATE THEM. BUT FROM A VISUAL LEVEL, I FEEL THEY ARE VERY WARM. IT’S VERY INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT THIS. I SAW A PAINTING I REALLY LIKE AT THE PETIT PALAIS ART MUSEUM LAST NIGHT. THE BACKGROUND IS VERY DECORATIVE, THERE ARE GOLDEN BASINS, AND SHINING MIRRORS. IT'S REALLY LUXURIOUS. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT "I WANT TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD.” IT APPEALS TO ME. BUT I CAN’T LIVE THAT WAY.

BUT THESE THINGS THAT ATTRACT YOU WILL NOT BE REFLECTED IN YOUR DESIGNS.

SOME ASPECTS WILL BE. IN FACT, MANY THINGS ARE FROM THE INSTALLATION ART PERIOD. I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT KIND OF AESTHETIC, BUT IN A VERY MODEST WAY. IN MY HOME, I MAY PLACE A VASE IN A COMPLETELY WHITE ROOM. THIS STYLE IS VERY MELANCHOLY, IT’S DARK AND FLAMBOYANT. IT’S EXPRESSIVE, BUT IT’S NOT LIKE “ME.” I’M VERY RESTRAINED. THIS IS THE BASIS OF MY ENTIRE AESTHETIC SYSTEM, THE BALANCE BETWEEN CONTROL AND COLLAPSE. I HAVE SURRENDERED TO MY OWN INSTINCTS, IT’S TERRIBLE, DRINKING TOO MUCH, COMPLETELY LOSING CONTROL. THEN YOU CHANGE AND BECOME MORE ORDERLY, FOCUSED, AND IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. BUT THIS IS A TYPE OF OVERKILL. IN THE END, YOU MUST FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

IN YOUR OPINION, IS THERE A COMMONALITY BETWEEN YOUR FURNITURE AND CLOTHING DESIGN?

THEY ARE BOTH THE CONTINUATION OF THE SAME AESTHETIC. I'M COMPLETELY IN CONTROL OF THE DETAILS. IF I COULD CHANGE THE FACADES OF THE ENTIRE STREET, I WOULD. MY APARTMENT IN CONCORDIA IS ABOVE A BARBER SHOP. THIS IS HARD TO TAKE (LAUGHS) WHY DON’T YOU MOVE?

MOVE WHERE? THE APARTMENT IS OPPOSITE TO MY FACTORY, THE LOCATION IS PERFECT.

THEN BUY THE BARBER SHOP?

HAHA, I’M TRYING HARD! PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS A NEIGHBOR WHO ALWAYS PLAYED MUSIC VERY LOUD DOWNSTAIRS. I BOUGHT THE APARTMENT AND NOW MY STAFF LIVE THERE.

THAT IS VERY INTERESTING. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED DESIGNING, YOU LIVED A NORMAL LIFE. BUT AFTER GAINING SUCCESS, YOU STARTED TO BUY THE SURROUNDING HOUSES, CREATING A VACUUM WITH JUST RICK OWENS. SO HOW DO YOU STAY IN TOUCH WITH REAL LIFE SO YOU WILL NOT BE OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY?

I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH I WILL ABSORB FROM REAL LIFE. MY INSPIRATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE FROM HISTORY. RECENTLY I WAS STUDYING HUMANISTIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY — THE GOETHEANUM DESIGNED BY RUDOLF STEINER, YOU CAN SAY THAT HE WAS A UTOPIAN ARCHITECT. I AM REFERRING TO HOW PEOPLE LIVED IN HISTORY. WHAT THEY WANTED ON A BASIC LEVEL, AND NOT WANT THEY WANT THIS YEAR. AT THE SAME TIME, I DO NOT SIT IN A LUXURY CAR EVERY DAY. I GO TO THE GYM BY SUBWAY, AND I GO TO MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES. IT LOOKS LIKE I’M WITHDRAWING FROM SOCIETY, BUT I'M NOT. I’M INVESTIGATING. I WANT TO LEARN.

DO YOU DESIGN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CLOTHING DIFFERENTLY?

I DON’T KNOW. BUT I DON’T ASSUME THAT THE MEN I DESIGN FOR ARE LIKE ME, IT’S THE SAME FOR WOMEN’S CLOTHING.

YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT WOMEN WANT TO WEAR?

NO, IF I START THINKING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT, I WILL LOSE MY DIRECTION. AFTER ALL, I CAN NEVER IMAGINE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A WOMAN. FOR ME, THEY ARE ALWAYS A SURPRISE.



AT SOME MAGICAL MOMENT, YOU INTUITIVELY DO SOMETHING, AND IT HITS PEOPLE, SO THE RESPONSE WILL BE GOOD. NOT EVERY TIME, BUT I MANAGED TO DO IT SEVERAL TIMES. THIS OF COURSE CANNOT BE PREDICTED. IF WE COULD PREDICT IT, WE’D ALL BE BILLIONAIRES (LAUGHS).

HOW MUCH DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE BRAND'S BUSINESS?

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FOCUSED ON PRODUCTION. IT’S NOT A LOAD OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE STUDIO PLAYING AT BEING CREATIVE. THEY REALLY GO THE FACTORY AND WORK TOGETHER WITH THE FACTORY WORKERS ON CREATING THINGS. TO TELL THE TRUTH, SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME WORRY. WILL WE DECIDE THAT THE PRODUCTION IS TOO COMPLICATED AND CHANGE THE DESIGN, SACRIFICING CREATIVITY. BUT THINKING THE OTHER WAY AROUND, PERHAPS THIS IS AN ADVANTAGE? MY STRENGTH IS THAT I AM ABLE TO BALANCE CREATIVITY AND WEARABILITY. HOWEVER, I STILL WANT TO HAVE A ROOM THAT IS ONLY ABOUT CREATIVITY, MY CRAZIEST DREAMS.

FOR YOU, ISN'T THAT THE DESIGNS YOU SHOW ON THE CATWALK?

TO SOME EXTENT, BUT I ALSO MAKE THOSE DESIGNS, AND EVERY DESIGN HAS A PRICE TAG. I DON’T DENY THAT SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROCESS, THE PRICE WILL BE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE. BUT I DON’T WANT TO SHOW A DESIGN ON THE CATWALK AND THEN SAY IT’S NOT FOR SALE, YOU CAN’T HAVE IT. I DON’T LIKE THAT.

ARE YOU AFRAID THAT YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CREATIVITY?

ANY CREATIVE PERSON DOES. MY FATHER ONCE ASKED ME THE SAME THING. I SAID THAT I'M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK I HAVE ENOUGH IDEAS IN MY HEAD FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. WHEN I’M OPTIMISTIC, I THINK OF ALL THESE IDEAS, AND I JUST NEED TO CLEAR MY HEAD. WHEN I AM PESSIMISTIC, I THINK IT WILL GET MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT. SO, I DON'T KNOW. LET’S WAIT AND SEE.

IS YOUR WORK OPTIMISTIC?

MY WORK IS OPTIMISTIC. ANY CREATIVE ACT IS, BECAUSE IT WAS BORN OF HOPE, AND IT WANTS TO COMMUNICATE AND ENVISAGE A FUTURE. I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING. MAYBE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EVIL IN THE WORLD. THIS WILL HELP YOU CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.

AS WE JUST SAID, YOU CANNOT CREATE IN A VACUUM. YOU NEED TO COLLIDE WITH SOMETHING.

YOU NEED TO HAVE BOTH BAD AND GOOD. I THINK I CAN ACCEPT THAT THE WORLD IS LIKE THIS. I AM NOT AN IDEALIST. I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ENTITLED TO BE HAPPY. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE WHATEVER WE HAVE.