DM MAGAZINE - MARCH 2002

MARCH 2002

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EASTPAK & RICK OWENS IS A STRANGE COMBINATION (OR NOT?). WHY DID YOU SAY YES TO WORK WITH THEM? 

ACTUALLY, I APPROACHED EASTPAK. I HAD FOND MEMORIES OF SEEING THE STREET KIDS ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD CARRYING THEM. THE BAGS WERE OLD AND DYED BLACK TO MATCH THE BLACK DYED ARMY SURPLUS CLOTHES THEY WORE DECORATED WITH THE METAL ENDS OF USED UP LIGHTERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS EXACTLY THE IMAGE EASTPAK WANTS TO PROMOTE, BUT IT WAS MY MOTIVATION. MY DRKSHDW DENIM COLLECTION WAS ALWAYS BASED ON THAT. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK IN FASHION? 

BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE BALLS TO BE AN ARTIST. 

WHAT'S THE POINT OF FASHION? 

COMMUNICATION. 

YOU'RE A LATE STARTER. DID YOU EXPECT THINGS TO WORK OUT THE WAY THEY DID? 

I NEVER EVEN HAD THE IMAGINATION TO DREAM OF IT. 

WHO AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU? WHY DO YOU THINK YOU FASCINATE PEOPLE? WHERE DID THAT CULT STATUS COME FROM? 

I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THE IDEA OF SELF-INVENTION AND UNCONVENTIONAL BEAUTY. I'VE TRIED TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE WORLD AS OPPOSED TO AN EXCLUSIVE ONE. MAYBE I'VE PROVIDED A FASHION OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE NOT HAVE BELIEVED IN FASHION. 

WHAT'S THE SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS? 

I THINK SUCCESS IS BEING GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT. EVERYBODY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. 

WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? 

FIGURING OUT THE STRAIGHTEST LINE FROM POINT A TO POINT B. HOWEVER, NOT EVERYBODY MIGHT CONSIDER THAT AN ASSET. 

DO YOU DREAM ABOUT CLOTHES? 

I ACTUALLY DO DREAM ABOUT CONSTRUCTION OR TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ONCE IN A WHILE. AND I'VE ACTUALLY WOKEN UP WITH SOLUTIONS. 

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE TASTELESS WEARING YOUR CLOTHES? 

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS DISINGENUOUS, BUT I'M HONESTLY ALWAYS PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOMEONE FOUND SOMETHING TO RESPOND TO IN MY CLOTHES. 

WHAT DO PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU? AND ABOUT FASHION? 

I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT PEOPLE EXPECT ME TO BE A BIT MORE FEROCIOUS. I'M AFRAID I'VE DISAPPOINTED SOME. I THINK THAT IT'S EASY TO DISMISS FASHION AS SUPERFICIAL WHEN IT'S ONE OF THE TRUEST AND MOST INSTANT METHODS OF COMMUNICATION AND STUDY OF BEAUTY THAT THERE IS. 

DO YOU HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THE PERSISTENT ALLURE OF VAMPIRES?