OCTOBER 2023

MF FASHION — THE FUTURE OF RICK OWENS — OCTOBER 2023 — BY CHIARA BOTTONI

JUST AHEAD OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS EPONYMOUS BRAND, THE DESIGNER RECOUNTS HIS COLLECEONS IN A PHOTO BOOK OF IMAGES BY DANIELLE LEVIH. “I ALWAYS AIM TO IMPROVE, NOT EXPAND,” THE DESIGNER SAID TO MFF, EXPRESSING HIS FONDNESS FOR ITALY.

THE DESIRE FOR FURTHER EXPLORAEON OF RICK OWENS' WORK IS ENCAPSULATED IN THE ETLE OF A NEW PHOTO BOOK PUBLISHED BY RIZZOLI. THE BOOK, FEATURING THE US DESIGNER'S RECENT WORK, IS SET TO HIT BOOKSTORES IN OCTOBER. PHOTOGRAPHER DANIELLE LEVIH, WHO PREVIOUSLY WORKED ON A BOOK ON OWENS' AESTHEEC, CAPTURES HIS NEW PHASE OF WORK AS HE EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW SHAPES, MATERIALS, AND COLORS. THESE YEARS COINCIDED WITH THE PANDEMIC, WHICH OWENS SPENT AT HIS HOUSE IN THE VENICE LIDO, WHERE HE HOSTED MEMORABLE FASHION SHOWS DESPITE THE FULL LOCKDOWN. THE BRAND IS NEARING ITS ALMOST THREE-DECADE-LONG EVOLUEON, WHICH WILL CULMINATE IN ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2024. OWENS' COMMITMENT TO PROVOCAEON AND AVANT-GARDE IS A HALLMARK OF THIS EVOLUEON, AS HE EXPLAINED IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH MFF.

WHAT DOES THIS BOOK TELL US ABOUT YOU?

THIS BOOK HELPS TO EXPLAIN MY ETHOS- TO PROPOSE AN ALTERNATE SET OF AESTHETICS TO THOSE WHO DON'T ALWAYS SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL STANDARDS, WHICH CAN BE RIGID AND NARROW AND SOMETIMES A BIT CRUEL. I RESPECT THE HISTORY OF CLASSICAL BEAUTY BUT TRY TO MAKE IT A BIT MORE FLEXIBLE. I AM SURE MY WORLD MAY ALIENATE SOME, BUT I HOPE OTHERS CAN FIND IT LIBERATING.

WHAT WAS DANIELLE LEVITT ABLE TO GRASP WITH THESE IMAGES?

THESE ARE THE BACKSTAGE MOMENTS BEFORE THE RUNWAY SHOW IN DANIELLE'S TEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO, WITH HARD TECHNO POUNDING IN OUR CAVERNOUS BACKSTAGE SPACE AND DANIELLE DANCING AND TWERKING AND CAJOLING THE MODELS INTO MOVEMENT AND ATTITUDE. THE CLOTHES ARE IN THEIR IDEAL STATE AND FRESHNESS AND ARE MINUTES AWAY FROM BEING PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE PUBLIC- SHE’S CAPTURING A MOMENT OF ANTICIPATION AND EXHILARATION AND A BELIEF IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF AN INDEPENDENT PURSUIT OF BEAUTY…..

PART OF THE BOOK RECOUNTS THE MOMENT OF THE PANDEMIC. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT PERIOD?

I REMEMBER THIS PERIOD AS A CHANCE FOR OUR TEAM TO BAND TOGETHER AND MEET AN UNCERTAIN MOMENT WITH OUR BEST EFFORTS. THEY REACTED WITH GREAT DIGNITY AND A SENSE OF HONOUR. I WAS VERY PROUD.

YOU SPENT THIS TIME IN VENICE. WHY SUCH A STRONG BOND WITH ITALY?

VENICE IS A 2-HOUR CAR RIDE FROM MY FACTORY, WHERE I WENT AS SOON AS I COULD TO PROTECT OUR SURVIVAL. WE NEEDED TO RECALIBRATE TO MEET THE MOMENT AND BE READY TO PIVOT AND STREAMLINE IN RESPONSE TO ANY SURPRISES.

WHAT DOES ITALY REPRESENT FOR YOUR BRAND?

ITALY HAS ALWAYS REPRESENTED GREAT PROWESS IN FASHION PRODUCTION- I FEEL LIKE I AM IN THE BEST POSSIBLE PLACE FOR EXECUTING THE KIND OF CLOTHES I WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR.

WHAT’S THE SECRET BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF THE KISS BOOTS?

I THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE ENDED UP BEING JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF GROTESQUE IN A SOCIAL CLIMATE THAT WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM LITERAL REFERENCES BUT GENERATIONALLY READY TO EMBRACE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ARCHNESS. I DIDN'T REALLY CALCULATE THAT MUCH. I JUST REALLY MADE THEM FOR MYSELF.

YOU ARE THE OWNER OF YOUR COMPANY. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE OF THE BRAND?

I ALWAYS SAY I WANT TO GET BETTER, NOT BIGGER. MY CREATIVE GESTURE NEEDS TO BE HEARTFELT AND BOLD, AND OUR METHODS NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND KIND. WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE.


AND WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE OF FASHION?

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NEED TO COMMUNICATE OUR HUMANITY THROUGH PERSONAL ADORNMENT. OR POWER. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND WILL CONTINUE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THE METHODS OF EXECUTION MIGHT CHANGE BUT THE URGE NEVER WILL.