THE NEW YORK TIMES – OCTOBER 2007 – A CALIFORNIAN FASCINATES THE FRENCH – BY GUY TREBAY

OCTOBER 2007

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ANTI-AMERICANISM IS AN OLD STORY AMONG THE FRENCH, A STANCE THAT HARDLY BEGAN WITH THE CURRENT ADVENTURE IN IRAQ. AS EASILY AS THE FRENCH TOOK TO STARBUCKS, IPODS AND NIKE, THEY STILL STAND READY TO PULL UP THE CULTURAL DRAWBRIDGE AT ANY SIGN THAT THEIR GALLIC ESSENCE IS IN JEOPARDY.

SO IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THE SUCCESS AND INCREASING IMPORTANCE ON THE SCENE OF AN AMERICAN DESIGNER LIKE RICK OWENS, A CALIFORNIAN WHO IN SOME WAYS IS AS HOMEGROWN A COMMODITY AS THE BURGERS, JEANS AND POPCORN MOVIES THAT THE FRENCH PRESIDENT, NICOLAS SARKOZY, WHOM HIS CRITICS DERIDE AS 'SARKO THE AMERICAN,' PRAISES LAVISHLY. 

MR. OWENS, WHO MADE HIS NAME CUTTING CLOTHES FOR ROCK STARS, AND WAS UNEXPECTEDLY ADOPTED BY ANNA WINTOUR AND THE EAST COAST FASHION ESTABLISHMENT (HE WON A PERRY ELLIS AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT FROM THE COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA IN 2002), HAD A SUCCESSFUL ENOUGH CAREER IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT IT WAS NOTHING COMPARED WITH THE CULT STATUS HE ENJOYS IN FRANCE. 

FRENCH CRITICS LAUD MR. OWENS'S CHALLENGING DESIGNS. FRENCH EDITORS PHOTOGRAPH THEM ALL CONSTANTLY. FRENCH WOMEN BUY THEM WITH RELIGIOUS FERVOR, AND HIS CLOTHES REMAIN BIG SELLERS IN UPSCALE DEPARTMENT STORES LIKE LE BON MARCHÉ AND SPECIALTY BOUTIQUES LIKE MARIA LUISA, OWNED BY THE INFLUENTIAL STOREKEEPER MARIA LUISA POUMAILLOU. 

THE COLLECTION MR. OWENS SHOWED SUNDAY NIGHT IN A GALLERY AT THE ÉCOLE DES BEAUX-ARTS GOT PARIS FASHION WEEK OFF TO A STRONG START WITH ITS ASSURED GEOMETRIES AND DISCIPLINED SILHOUETTE. YET IT IS NOT JUST HIS DESIGN SKILLS THAT ALLY HIM WITH THE OTHER FASCINATING AMERICAN CHARACTERS WHO IMMIGRATED TO PARIS TO FIND THEMSELVES. IT IS HIS BIOGRAPHY. 

PLENTY OF DESIGNERS SELL WELL AT MARIA LUISA AND COLETTE. TOO MANY DESIGNERS RETAIL A HIPSTER POSE THAT HAS TRULY SEEN BETTER DAYS. NO DESIGNER THAT ONE CAN THINK OF, HOWEVER, CAN CLAIM A BACK STORY ANYTHING LIKE MR. OWENS'S, STARTING WITH HIS BOYHOOD IN PORTERVILLE, AN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY IN THE CALIFORNIA ORANGE BELT. 

'HE DIDN'T HAVE A TELEVISION GROWING UP,' HIS FATHER, JOHN, A RETIRED SOCIAL WORKER, SAID BACKSTAGE AT THE SHOW. 'I THINK THAT HAD A LOT OF EFFECT ON HIS RESOURCEFULNESS.' 

OR IT COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN THE LESSONS HIS FATHER DRUMMED INTO HIM ABOUT THE CONFUCIAN ANALECTS AND THE MEDITATIONS OF MARCUS AURELIUS AND HIS ATTEMPTS TO TEACH YOUNG RICK WILDERNESS SKILLS AND HOW TO SHOOT A COLT .45. 'THAT DIDN'T TAKE PARTICULARLY,' HE SAID. 

OF COURSE, IT WAS, AS USUAL, HIS FLIGHT FROM HOME THAT MOST CLEARLY MARKED HIM AS AN AMERICAN, A HAPHAZARD HEGIRA THAT TOOK HIM TO NEW YORK TO STUDY ART AT PARSONS; THEN TO PATTERNMAKER SCHOOL; THEN TO LOS ANGELES, WHERE HE DID JOURNEYMAN WORK FOR LABELS THAT KNOCKED OFF OSCAR GOWNS; THEN TO MEET AND MARRY MICHELE LAMY, A CHARISMATIC AND VISUALLY ECCENTRIC FRENCHWOMAN WHO RAN A HOT HOLLYWOOD NIGHTSPOT CALLED LES DEUX CAFES; THEN TO TAKE DRUGS OF VARIOUS KINDS AND IN QUANTITIES; THEN TO BECOME SOBER AND START A BUSINESS UNDER HIS OWN NAME; THEN TO WIN THE C.F.D.A. AWARD; AND, IN 2003, TO FIND HIMSELF NAMED THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF REVILLON FRÈRES, THE FRENCH FURRIER. 

'THERE'S A GENERATION THAT DRANK AND SMOKED TOO MUCH AND TOOK TOO MANY DRUGS,' MR. OWENS ONCE TOLD ME. 'I'M FROM THAT GENERATION. THERE ARE SO MANY OF US.' 

WELL, ACTUALLY, THERE AREN'T, SINCE QUITE A NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE RICK OWENS WORKED WITH AND PARTIED WITH HAVE DIED. HE HAS BEEN SOBER FOR YEARS. HE WORKS OUT WITH THE FANATICISM HE ONCE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON DESIGNING, SAY, THE TOGAS FOR A LEGENDARY ART/SEX-CLUB INSTALLATION ORGANIZED IN THE '90S BY RON ATHEY AND VAGINAL DAVIS AT A SEEDY LOS ANGELES MOTEL. 

'IF THAT ISN'T GLAM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS,' MR. DAVIS SAID BY E-MAIL MESSAGE THIS WEEK FROM BERLIN, WHERE HE LIVES. 

IT IS MR. OWENS'S CAPACITY TO COLLABORATE WITH VAGINAL DAVIS (HE MADE THE COSTUMES FOR 'CHEAP BLACKIE,' MR. DAVIS'S NEW PERFORMANCE PIECE) AND THE RAUNCHY ART-HOUSE FILMMAKER BRUCE LABRUCE, AND ALSO CATER TO THE COUTURE CROWD THAT SEEMS TO SET MR. OWENS APART. ODDLY, THOUGH, HE NEVER THOUGHT HE HAD THE RIGHT PLATFORM UNTIL MOVING HERE.