Many in the industry say that the Rick Owens show is the one they look forward to the most. Steeped in concepts that hit deep, there is always a certain magic that fills the concrete basement of Palais de Tokyo where Owens shows. This is down to the clothes, and the styling, of course, but also the choice of music, and the ideas of the man himself. An American in Paris, Owens’s observations and reflections are borne out of a uniquely sharp perspective on some of humanity’s big questions.
His last season collection explored extinction and evolution, and this Spring/Summer ’17 took this concept further by being centred around fragility, and with the hauntingly romantic “Wild is The Wind” and "Black is The Color of My True Love's Hair" by Nina Simone as the soundtrack, one might even say, vulnerability. He himself listens to Simone every day. “Her voice lends itself to the idea of fragility because her voice can be quite thin and wavering, but she has the power and the confidence to manipulate it and make it convincing”, he explained backstage.
Sartorially, Owens conveyed the message in draped linen tulle in cloud-like forms around the body, and billowy 'fog coats' - floor-length capes made of individual ostrich strands knotted together, created by Maison Lemarié, the legendary Parisian plumassier.
“It seemed like the right time to do something quiet for me. I thought I could get away with doing something quiet this season.” With the added element of an increased variation of color, the slightly more feminine silhouettes and the overall lightness of this collection, it was his most beautiful to date, particularly for those Rick fans slightly less towards the avant-garde end of the spectrum.