Rick Owens

Rick Owens
Rick Owens
Born	November 18, 1961 (age 64); Porterville, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Fashion designer, furniture designer
Years active	1994–present
Known for	Fashion design, furniture design
Notable work	RICK OWENS, DRKSHDW, RICKOWENSLILIES, SLAB, HUNRICKOWENS labels; 'Prehistoric' furniture series; books "Rick Owens" (2011), "More Rick Owens" (2023)

Richard Saturnino Owens (born November 18, 1961) is a renowned American fashion designer originating from Porterville, California. In addition to his primary fashion label, Owens creates a range of furniture pieces and multiple diffusion lines.

Early life and education

Owens grew up in Porterville, California with his parents John (deceased 2015) and Concepción "Connie" Owens, his mother being of Mexican descent. Raised in a devout Catholic environment, he completed his studies at Porterville High School before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue art studies at Otis College of Art and Design for two years. Subsequently, he enrolled in pattern-making and draping programs at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, which enabled him to work replicating designer garments. During this time, Owens connected with Michèle Lamy, a prominent figure in the Los Angeles cultural milieu and proprietor of the "Lamy" sportswear label.

Career

Owens initiated his fashion brand in 1994 from a boutique located on Hollywood Boulevard, receiving early endorsement from the avant-garde retailer Charles Gallay. His reputation grew significantly after model Kate Moss appeared in a photograph by Corinne Day for Vogue Paris, wearing one of Owens’ distinctive leather jackets chosen by stylist Panos Yiapanis. This visibility secured backing from Vogue America for his debut runway presentation titled "Sparrows FW02." Owens acknowledges the early support of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, facilitated by editor-at-large André Leon Talley.

In 2003, Owens moved to Paris with his partner Michèle Lamy, motivated partly by concerns over safety in Los Angeles. They established their residence and workshop within a historic edifice once occupied by French President François Mitterrand. Since then, Owens has showcased his runway collections primarily in Paris. The following year, Owens and Lamy launched Owenscorp, describing their collaboration metaphorically as “asking a gypsy to organize a war with a fascist.”

In 2013, Owens unveiled his 'Prehistoric' furniture series at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London, characterized by a monochrome color scheme influenced by ancient cultures and spiritual ceremonies.

Owens was honored with the 2002 Perry Ellis Award recognizing emerging talent and received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Additional accolades include the Cooper-Hewitt Design Award and the Rule Breaker Award from Fashion Group International (2007). His inaugural museum retrospective, "Subhuman Inhuman Superhuman," debuted at the Triennale di Milano in 2017. In 2019, he earned the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award.

He has published four books on fashion and design, notably Rick Owens (2011) and More Rick Owens (2023), as well as two works focusing on designer Larry LeGaspi released in 2019.

Owens has introduced five distinct labels: RICK OWENS, DRKSHDW, RICKOWENSLILIES, SLAB, and HUNRICKOWENS (previously known as "Palais Royal"). SLAB concentrated on essential apparel with distinctive finishes but was succeeded by DRKSHDW in 2005, which highlights cellulose-based textiles.

Between 2018 and 2021, Owens partnered with various brands including Birkenstock, French sneaker company Veja, Moncler, American activewear brand Champion, Dr. Martens, and Converse. The collaboration with Veja lasted five seasons before ending in late 2021.

A 2017 interview revealed that Owens’ brand generated $120 million in revenue, with intentions to maintain independence from corporate investors.

In 2019, Owens dedicated his "Larry FW19" runway show to Larry LeGaspi, whom he credits as an influential creative predecessor shaping his rebellious aesthetic. That same year marked his return to Los Angeles after sixteen years to promote his publications.

Scheduled for 2025, Owens will present a retrospective titled "Temple of Love" at the Palais Galliera in Paris, named after the song by The Sisters of Mercy.

Personal life

Owens identifies as bisexual and has been married to French designer Michèle Lamy since 2006. In June 2025, he reportedly created an OnlyFans profile where he shared personal images, including photographs highlighting his feet.

Noteworthy collections

Rick Owens releases both menswear and womenswear lines each season, frequently assigning specific titles and conceptual themes to his collections.

MONSTERS SS98

The Spring/Summer 1998 collection marked Owens' inaugural fashion line, characterized by his distinctive use of draping and bias-cut techniques. Fabrics such as silk, leather, and fur were prominently featured. The collection is notable for including American drag performer Goddess Bunny as a fit model and for showcasing transgender models and sex workers within its campaign imagery.

SPARROWS FW02

Owens' first runway presentation at New York Fashion Week was "Sparrows FW02," supported by Vogue. Initially planned as "Vapor SS02," the show was postponed due to the events of September 11. This collection presented tailored and draped pieces in subdued tones with a minimalist staging, contrasting sharply with the extravagance of his subsequent shows.

DUSTULATOR FW06

Unveiled at Pitti Uomo in Florence, the Fall/Winter 2006 collection was divided into three distinct parts. The menswear runway segment titled DUSTULATOR embraced military and post-apocalyptic influences through oversized forms and a grayscale color scheme accented by cool-hued knitwear. This season also introduced a fully developed version of his athletic-inspired sneaker initially seen in "Moog FW05." The DUSTDAM installation exhibited thirty garments alongside custom-designed furniture on a lengthy 30-meter wooden structure. The concluding segment, DUSTPUMP, featured a life-sized wax figure of Owens urinating on mirrors and sand, now permanently displayed at his Paris flagship store.

VICIOUS SS14

For the Spring/Summer 2014 womenswear line, Owens incorporated forty step dancers from sororities including The Zetas, Washington Divas, Soul Steppers, and The Momentums as models. Instead of a conventional runway show, their performance—characterized by intense "grit face" expressions—served as the presentation. The dancers underwent six months of training, reflecting Owens' commitment to broader body representation. This collection also marked the launch of his partnership with Adidas, merging Adidas' designs with Owens' signature exaggerated silhouettes. The footwear collaboration achieved commercial success, elevating Owens' mainstream recognition and amplifying the collection’s influence.

BABEL SS19

Inspired by Russian constructivist architecture and the biblical Tower of Babel, the Spring/Summer 2019 collection was showcased at Palais de Tokyo in Paris. The runway incorporated a central tower structure modeled after Tatlin's Tower. Owens employed geometric shapes and innovative materials such as detachable tent poles to bring these concepts to life. This season also represented Owens' initial collaboration with ECCO Leather, incorporating their translucent leather into both footwear and apparel.

PORTERVILLE FW24

The Fall/Winter 2024 collection honored Owens’ hometown of Porterville, California, with its presentation held at his Paris residence and headquarters. Models traversed the halls of the house while attendees lined the walls. The collection explored unique silhouettes featuring stoles and shoulder pads and introduced inflatable knee-high rubber boots distinguished by their voluminous and rounded design.

Revealing designs at the Fall/Winter 2015 menswear presentation

The "Sphinx FW15" menswear runway showcased clothing deliberately styled to expose the models' genital areas. Models were chosen based on their stature and body proportions to carefully manage the extent of this exposure. Owens explained that this approach drew inspiration from classical marble sculptures.

Incident involving a model during the Spring/Summer 2016 menswear event

During the "Cyclops SS16" show in Paris, model and artist Jera Diarc held up a sign stating, "Please Kill Angela Merkel. Not." This unexpected gesture dominated media coverage, provoking worldwide discussion about whether it was an act of political protest, artistic expression, or merely a publicity stunt. Owens publicly distanced both himself and his brand from the episode, prohibiting Jera from participating in future shows, although he continued to refer to him as a muse.

In a subsequent interview, Jera maintained an ambiguous stance regarding his intentions, concluding with the words: "Everything for rckNrll. Everything for art. Everything for the cause. And the cause is above everything."

Rick Owens "Dunk" sneaker

The "Dunk" sneaker, one of Owens' signature footwear designs, first appeared in his "Moog FW05" collection. It featured an oversized tongue, cushioned collar, crepe sole with a rubber sidewall, and a zipper on the inner side. Described as "monster trucks" for feet, its most striking detail was an appliqué resembling both the Nike Swoosh and Puma stripe. A fully developed version debuted in the "Dustulator FW06" collection, followed by an Adidas-inspired iteration in "Crust FW09." Nicknamed the "Dunk" due to its resemblance to Nike’s shoe of the same name, Owens reportedly received a cease and desist order from Nike; nonetheless, the sneaker was sold until 2010. It was ultimately succeeded by the Geobasket sneaker, which features geometric paneling and avoids any design infringement issues.

Furniture line

In addition to fashion design, Owens creates furniture inspired by Brutalist architecture and German WWII bunkers, characterized by sharp angles and sculptural aesthetics. His pieces frequently incorporate antlers as asymmetrical wings on chairs. Galerie Philia has showcased his creations.

Owens’ inaugural furniture exhibition took place in Berlin in 2010 under the title ‘To Pop A Boner,’ presented by publisher Angelika Taschen, who had previously included his Paris interior designs in her publication. The exhibition was held during Berlin Gallery Weekend at Apartment store.

Launched in July 2005, his furniture collection employs materials such as untreated plywood, marble, alabaster, bronze, leather, and moose antlers. Influences include Eileen Gray, Brâncuși, and California skateboarding culture. The collection has been displayed at Paris’ Musée d'Art Moderne and Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art. The creative process is collaborative: Owens produces initial sketches; his wife Michèle Lamy develops prototypes and coordinates artisans for final fabrication. She also manages installation logistics and writes descriptive texts for each piece.

References

External links