NO FOURTH

-RICK-

-OWENS-

Text and Graphics: Sam Michael

F

ROM THE FRINGES OF FASHION A NEW WORLD COUTURIER EMERGES. THE FORCE OF RICK OWEN’S FORGED CREATIONS OVER THE PAST DECADE HAS BEEN UNDENIABLY IMMENSE. HIS DARK, DYNAMIC, DUALISTICALLY ORGANIC YET INDUSTRIALLY ARCHITECTURAL CREATIONS HAVE DRAWN STRONG FOCUS TO THE SELF PROPAGATED AESTHETIC RICK HAS BEEN STEADILY SOLIDIFYING. RICK OWENS IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING DESIGNERS OF WHOM WORKS WITH A RADIATING IDEA THAT RESURFACES IN NEW MODES EACH COLLECTION. HIS AESTHETICALLY IDEOLOGICAL STANCE IS DARE SAY ENVIABLE AS HIS VENTURES INTO FURNITURE /INTERIOR DESIGN INDICATE HIS VISUAL IDEAS ARE FULLY IMMERSED IN ONE STYLISH CONGLOMERATE THAT IS HIS LIFE. HIS AESTHETIC OF BROKEN IDEALISM IS A NEW 21ST CENTURY UNDERGROUND, WHICH SEE’S HIS ALWAYS SHIFTING THEMES RANGE FROM DISTORTION, TO RADICAL ROMANTICISM, FUSIONS OF ORGANIC AND INDUSTRIAL AND GRUNGE GLAMOUR. THE RICK OWENS MEN AND WOMEN ARE THOSE MYSTERIOUS, ENIGMATIC, ARTISTIC, OBSESSIVELY MINIMAL, STRICTLY ELUSIVE TYPES THAT ONE FINDS PONDERING MINIMALIST ART IN A DIMLY LITE CORNER, SEEN PURCHASING LUSH SHEEPSKINS AND ANTIQUE TAXIDERMY AT FLEA MARKETS, AND LISTENING TO CONTEMPORARY COLLISIONS OF ELECTRONIC, PUNK, METAL, AND CLASSICAL. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH HINT MAGAZINE OWENS SUMMONS AN INTERESTING METAPHOR PERTAINING TO HIS PERSONAL TAKE ON AESTHETICS, “WHEN I EXPLAIN IT TO PEOPLE, I COMPARE A WILLIAM-ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU PAINTING WITH A BRANCUSI SCULPTURE. I'M THE BRANCUSI SCULPTURE, JUST A SLAB OF METAL ON A HUNK OF WOOD, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT PIECE OF METAL AND THE PERFECT GESTURE”.

THE NOTION THAT A RICK OWENS COLLECTION IS LIKE A DERRIVATIVE YET INDIVDUAL INCRANATION OF A MASTER PLAN IS PERHAPS NEVER BEFORE MORE EVIDENT THAN IN RICKS AUTUMN/WINTER (2011) COLLECTION. IT WAS ARGUABLY ONE OF HIS BEST COLLECTIONS YET.  THE PURE DAPHNE GROENVELD OPENED THE SPECTACLE THAT WAS AS TIM BLANKS NOTES ON WWW.STYLE.COM A “QUEST FOR PURITY”. HOWEVER AS WITH ANYTHING THAT RICK OWENS DOES THERE WAS A DISTINCTIVE SUBVERSION. COTOURE TRIBAL LIKE PREISTESS DEMANDED ABSOLUTE ATTENTION AS THEIR STEER, STARK, SLIM SILOUHETTES STAUNCHED THE CONCRETE RUNWAY. THIS COLLECTION EXPRESSED A FAIRLY NEW OWENS EXPLORATION, AS THE HEAVY GRAPHIC BODY TO RICK’S PAST COLLECTIONS WAS PAIRED DOWN THIS TIME, AND SUBTLE LAYERING OF COLOUR, FINE CASHMERES, JERSEY, AND LEATHER TOOK OVER. TRUNCATED LEATHER SHOULDERED JACKETS, LONG SLIPPED SKIRTS AND LAYERED SHORT SLEEVE TOPS WERE STYLISH YET PRACTICAL ITEMS AND SOME GIRLS FEATURED AMAZING FUR AND KNIT HOODS THAT AGAIN FED INTO THE RELIGIOUS RESONANCE IN THE COLLECTION. IT IS THE OPINION OF MYSELF AND THE MEMBERS OF NO FOURTH THAT THIS COLLECTION WAS ICONIC, A SUPREME MANIFESTATION OF CHIC AND EDGY. AFTER HIS SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION LAST SPRING (2010) AND NOW THIS AUTUMN WINTER RICK OWENS IS DESTINED FOR MORE GREATNESS.

THIS PHOTOGRAPH (AND THE ONE BELOW) SOURCED FROM MDX FOR WWW.MODELS.COM FEATURES THE AMAZING BOOTS EVERYONE AT NO FOURTH HAS BECOME INFATUATED WITH. THE LEATHER PEAKS THAT FORM ON THE TOP OF THE FOOT DISSIPATING UP TOWARDS THE ANKLE, ALTERS THE SILHOUETTE OF THE LEG GIVING AN ALMOST ANIMALISTIC HOOVE LIKE QUALITY. IT’S THESE DISTINCTIVE YET REFINED FEATURES TO OWENS WORK THAT ARE TRULY ENIGMATIC, MAKING HIS PIECES EXTREMELY LUST WORHTY. IT HAS LONG BEEN NOTED THAT OWENS AESTHETIC IS FORGED IN ISOLATION AND THROUGH MEDITATION. I BELIEVE THAT IN THIS POSTMODERN ERA OF APPROPRIATION AND WHERE TO MANY DESIGNERS RELY ON REINVENTION OF THE 80’S OR 70’S BY GONES, OWENS UTILISES THE TIME HE SPENDS OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT TO TRULY MANIFEST NEW PROPOSALS.  I THINK ONE OF THINKGS THAT MOST APPEALS TO MYSELF ABOUT RICK OWENS BOTH IN HIS MENS AND WOMENSWEAR IS THE AUTOMATIC ALLURE HIS WEARS CREATE THROUGH THEIR SLICK, DARK, BROODY ALMOST FORM MUTATING NATURE. THE ALLURE DOSEN’T FEED INTO ANY TYPICAL ASSOCIATION OF BEAUTY, HIS PIECES ARE ALMOST LIKE WEARABLE HIGHTOUCH SCULPTURES FROM THE 80’S AND 90’S, THEY ARE REFINED YET COMPOSITES OF WHATS OFTEN PERCIEVED TO BE INCONGRUENT ELEMENTS.

  

 IF I WERE TO FORTELL WHERE RICK OWENS WILL GO FROM THE SUMMIT OF GREATNESS HE IS CURRENTLY CAMPED ON…STRATOSPHERE? I THINK THAT TIME WILL ONLY SEE A SOLIDIFICATION AND MATURATION PROCESS OCCUR FOR HIS ALREADY COMPREHSNVIE AESTHETIC. THE NEW WORLD COUTURIER STATES HIS BIGGEST FAULT AS BEING THAT HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF TO BE "A  SELFISH CUNT” AT TIMES. IF THIS ACTS AS NO OBSTICLE TO HIM CONTINUALLY CREATING WONDEROUS WADROBES THAN I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH A LITTLE SELF INDUGENCE.