DOINGBIRD - MARCH 2002

MARCH 2002

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SIR—MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FIRST. YOU ARE FANTASTICALLY RIPPED. WHAT'S THE DEAL? 

I'M NOT REALLY INTO CLOTHES. I WEAR ONE OUTFIT LIKE A UNIFORM. I HAVE FOR YEARS. BLACK SWEATPANTS, BLACK BAGGY SHORTS OVER THEM, A BLACK OR WHITE COTTON T-SHIRT AND A BLACK CASHMERE T-SHIRT OVER THAT. I COULDN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO CHANGE OUTFITS EVERY DAY. OR HAVING TO CHANGE FOR THE GYM. AND THIS OUTFIT TAKES ME TO THE GYM, WORK IN THE STUDIO AND TO DINNER WITH A MINK COAT OVER IT. CHANGING YOUR BODY IS SO MUCH MORE HARDCORE. THE EXTREME SENSATION OF WORKING OUT HAS REPLACED THE MOSH PITS OF MY EARLIER YEARS AND THE SEX CLUBS FOR YEARS AFTER THAT. IT'S A GREAT COMBO OF DISCIPLINE, JOYOUS RELEASE, MEDITATION AND VANITY. MUSIC NEVER SOUNDED AS GOOD AS IT DOES NOW, POUNDING THROUGH THOSE EARBUD HEADPHONES INTO THE PIT OF MY STOMACH AS I FEEL MY MUSCLES SWELL. 

LAST SEASON IT WAS SEXY NUNS. TWO SEASONS AGO IT WAS STRAIGHT ARCHITECTURE. FOUR PAST? FURRY CAVEMEN. DID YOU LIFT INSPIRATION FROM ANYWHERE IN PARTICULAR FOR YOUR FALL COLLECTION? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE UPCOMING FALL? 

I'M STARTING WITH THE WORD 'CRUST' AND LOOKING AT MORE EXTREME TEXTURE. CRUST, BEING A PROTECTIVE LAYER, MADE ME THINK OF VULNERABILITY. NOT SURE WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH THAT YET. TO TELL THE TRUTH, IT'S USUALLY AFTERWARDS, WHEN IT'S DONE, THAT I CAN ANALYZE WHERE IT CAME FROM. UNTIL THEN, I TRY NOT TO THINK TOO MUCH. 

YOU SEEM PRETTY INSPIRED BY ANIMALS AND THEIR FEATURES AND USE LOTS OF ANIMAL MATERIALS IN YOUR COLLECTIONS. WHY THE FASCINATION? 

I SUPPOSE THERE'S A PRIMAL ASSOCIATION THAT APPEALS TO ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S TRANSFORMED AND REFINED INTO SOMETHING ELEGANT. I LIKE TRANSFORMATION. 

AS FOR YOUR OWN HAIR, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT CUTTING IT? 

I DOUBT I EVER WILL. I'LL BE FINE WITH A LONG COBWEB WREATH WHEN THE TIME COMES. 

FORGET ABOUT ALL INTERNATIONAL FURRIER AND LEATHER REGULATIONS. FORGET ABOUT PHYSICAL IMPLAUSIBILITY AND COMMODITY RARITY. FORGET ABOUT RULES, MAN. IF YOU COULD MAKE A GARMENT OUT OF ANY MATERIAL WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

WELL, THERE'S A GUY I'M WORKING WITH ON SOME HORN ELEMENTS FOR MY NEXT COLLECTION. HE DOES STUFF LIKE CUSTOMIZED CARVED BONE DOOR HANDLES FOR VINTAGE CAR INTERIORS. THAT KIND OF WORLD. HE HAS A PILE OF IVORY TUSKS IN HIS WORKSHOP THAT I'M AWEFULLY TEMPTED TO USE FOR FURNITURE. I DO SEE FURNITURE AS AN EXTENSION OF CLOTHES. AND I LOVE SWANSDOWN. 

HAS YOUR MOVE TO PARIS INFLUENCED HOW YOU THINK ABOUT DESIGN? 

SURE. IT RAISED THE BAR. THERE'S A PLACE THERE FOR A CHIC BORDERING ON THE PERVERSE. 

WHAT DO YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW PARISIANS, NEW YORKERS AND L.A. NATIVES DRESS THEMSELVES? ANY ONE CITY YOU DESIGN WITH IN MIND? 

I THINK I PREFER NEW YORK STYLE IN GENERAL. THERE'S A LITTLE MORE SEVERITY TO MY EYE. BUT I PROBABLY HAVE A CITY DESIGNED BY LE CORBUSIER AND LUIGI MORETTI IN MY HEAD MOST OF THE TIME. 

IF YOUR FASHION AESTHETIC BECOMES MANIFEST IN A NOISE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

THE LOW HUM OF A HEAVY INDUSTRIAL MOTOR. 

IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO COMPLETELY UPDATE ONE LONG-ESTABLISHED FASHION HOUSE, WHICH WOULD IT BE? WHAT DIRECTION WOULD YOU TAKE IT? 

HONESTLY, REVILLON WAS MY ONLY TEMPTATION. I WOULD NEVER BE THE SLIGHTEST BIT INTERESTED AGAIN. I'M NOT SAYING THAT BITTERLY. I HAD A LOVELY TIME WITH REVILLON. BUT WHY WOULD I WANT TO PUT ALL THAT EFFORT INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S COMPANY WHEN I CAN PUT IT INTO MY OWN? 

YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU'RE A PRAGMATIC DESIGNER AND THAT YOU'D RATHER SEE YOUR CLOTHES IN STORES THAN OUT ON THE RUNWAY. SO WHY SO QUIET ON THE ADVERTISING FRONT? 

ADVERTISING PULLS YOU MORE DEEPLY INTO THE FASHION SYSTEM THAN I'M WILLING TO GO. I HAVE ENOUGH. MY BUSINESS IS GROWING AT A PACE GRADUAL ENOUGH TO BE SAFE, AND FAST ENOUGH TO BE MOTIVATING. ADVERTISING'S ANOTHER JOB, LIKE RUNWAY SHOWS. ONCE YOU START, YOU NEED TO BE READY TO DO IT FOREVER. THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH, I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE DOING RUNWAY SHOWS. 

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING NOW, BUT THE FASHION WORLD HAS FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO THE LUXURIOUSLY LOUCHE AND DRAMATIC LOOK THAT YOU PIONEERED. WE'RE SEEING MOMS IN THE MIDWEST SIDLING INTO YOUR LEATHER JACKETS AND THE COOL CHICKS AT SCHOOL SHELLING OUT FOR A PAIR OF YOUR BOOTS INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD LOUBOUTINS. FROM A GUY WHO'S BEEN DOING THE BEAUTIFULLY DARK AND BROODY THING FOR SO LONG, ANY WORDS OF ADVICE TO YOUR ADMIRERS? WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SO RELEVANT NOWADAYS? 

WHEN I STARTED OUT, I RESENTED HOW DRAMATIC OR RADICAL FASHION WAS CONFINED TO THE RUNWAY OR SPECIAL OCCASION. I WANTED TO CORRUPT CONFORMITY FROM WITHIN BY TRANSLATING EXTREME SILHOUETTES INTO A SOFT BLACK OR GREY THAT COULD QUIETLY BE PART OF EVERY DAY. I DO SEE HINTS OF THAT HAPPENING AROUND BUT FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT WORKED. I THINK IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY, BUT MAYBE I DID HELP. 

WHAT WAS RICK OWENS THE KID LIKE? RICK OWENS AS A TEENAGER? HOW DO YOU SEE RICK OWENS THE GERIATRIC? 

RICK THE KID WAS A SOFT SISSY. RICK THE TEENAGER WANTED DESPERATELY TO APPEAR DISSOLUTE. RICK THE GERIATRIC WILL BE DISSOLUTE. 

I'VE GOT TO ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR HEELS. ARE THEY COMFORTABLE? I'VE GOT SNEAKERHEAD FRIENDS WHO GO CRAZY OVER YOUR HIGH TOPS, AND ARE SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT YOU MAKE MAN HEELS—SHOULD THEY BE? 

UH, DID THEY EVER HEAR 'DETROIT ROCK CITY' BY KISS? 

DESCRIBE A PERFECTLY SELFISH DAY. 

OUTSIDE IN THE SUN, READING AND SWIMMING. 

DO THE IGGY POP COMPARISONS EVER GET ANNOYING? 

OH GOD, NO. I STARTED THEM. 

YOUR LIFE IN L.A. SEEMED LIKE A BIT OF A DINGY FAIRYTALE FULL OF DRUGS AND BOOZE AND FANTASTICAL CHARACTERS LIKE PERFORMANCE ARTIST VAGINAL DAVIS. TODAY—WELL, YOU'RE OSTENSIBLY STILL LIVING WHAT WE PLEBES SEE AS KIND OF A FAIRYTALE. THERE'S THE FIVE-STORY MANSION ON THE PLACE DU PALAIS BOURBON, THE SCULPTURE OF YOURSELF RELEASING FAKE URINE. WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE L.A. VERSION OF THE RICK OWENS MYTHOLOGY AND THE PARIS VERSION? 

PROBABLY NOT MUCH. IT'S STILL A TRIANGLE OF GYM, WORKING AT HOME AND DINNER DOWN THE STREET. ALL THE OLD FACES COME THROUGH PARIS SOONER OR LATER. OTHER THAN THAT I'M ON THE ROAD A LOT MORE THAN I USED TO BE. 

LAST QUESTION: WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST VICE? 

I'M A SELFISH CUNT. 

YOUR BIGGEST VIRTUE?