INDIE – OCTOBER 2008

OCTOBER 2008

INDIE – OCTOBER 2008</b>

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WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? 

I'M LAUNCHING MEN'S F/W 09, WOMEN'S PRECOLLECTION 09, PALAIS ROYAL FURS, AND DRKSHDW DENIM COLLECTIONS TO BE IN OUR SHOWROOM FOR JANUARY SALES. 

HOW IS YOUR BUSINESS ORGANISED? HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK FOR YOU AND WHO ARE YOUR PARTNERS? 

I HAVE A BUSINESS PARTNER WHO RUNS MY COMPANY OWENSCORP, I HAVE A DISTRIBUTION PARTNER AND I HAVE A MANUFACTURING LICENSE. 

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR FAMOUS HOUSE IN PARIS - THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE AND WORK. 

IS IT FAMOUS? IT'S A 17TH CENTURY BUILDING LOOKING ONTO THE PLACE DU PALAIS BOURBON. IT'S GOT A TRADITIONAL GRAND FACADE AND 5 FLOORS OF CONCRETE '50S OFFICE BUILDING IN BACK OVERLOOKING THE GARDENS OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE. IT'S ALL BEEN STRIPPED AND LEFT RAW.

ARE YOU PROUD OF STILL BEEING AN INDEPENDENT DESIGNER? 

SURE. 

YOUR WORK SEEMS TO BE ONE EVOLVING PROCESS, NOT SEASON-RELATED. DOES IT BOTHER YOU SOMETIMES TO BE 'FORCED' TO PRESENT FOUR COLLECTIONS PER YEAR AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME? 

I FIND IT STIMULATING. IT USED TO STRESS ME OUT AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE I DID FEEL PRESSURED TO DO SOMETHING NEW ALL THE TIME. NOW I'VE REALIZED THAT I CAN DO IT HOWEVER I WANT. IT'S A PLEASURE TO REINTERPRET AND REFINE MY ORIGINAL CONCEPT. I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WILL BE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT FOREVER, BUT I'M OK WITH THAT. 

WHAT'S THE MAIN FUNCTION OF FASHION? 

BEAUTY IS ONE OF LIFE'S GREATEST REWARDS. 

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THE WORK OF OTHER CONTEMPORARY FASHION DESIGNERS? 

SURE. I'M A FASHION FAN. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CURRENT 'CALIFORNIAN STYLE' EXEMPLIFIED BY CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY A LOT OF CELEBRITIES? 

UNFAMILIAR WITH IT. 

DOES THE PRESS INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? 

PROBABLY. ANY CRITICISM, NO MATTER HOW FAR-FETCHED, USUALLY HAS A GRAIN OF TRUTH. WHY NOT LEARN FROM THAT? 

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? 

I LOOK AT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN BOOKS A LOT. CHARLOTTE PERRIAND, LOUIS KAHN, CARLO MOLLINO, JEAN MICHEL-FRANK, THAT KIND OF STUFF. THOSE TIMELESS PROPORTIONS ARE VERY SOOTHING AND PUT ME IN A RATIONAL FRAME OF MIND. 

WHICH OTHER CREATIVE DISCIPLINES INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? 

I LOOK AT ARTISTS LIKE PAUL KOOIKER, BRANCUSI, STEPHEN PARRINO, AND READ A LOT OF BIOGROPHIES LIKE STEPHEN TENNANT'S AND ROBERT DE MONTESQUIOU'S. 

WHAT ABOUT MUSIC? 

JULIE LONDON, DAVE CLARKE, KISS, MONTSERRAT CABALLE. 

WHAT'S THE THEME OF YOUR NEXT COLLECTION? 

CRUST. TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE COVERINGS THAT FALL OFF AND DECOMPOSE, REVEALING NEW STRENGTH UNDERNEATH. 

YOU RECENTLY LAUNCHED YOUR FURNITURE COLLECTION. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PIECES AND YOUR CONCEPT BEHIND THE LINE? 

I WANTED TO FURNISH MY HOUSE, BUT ALL THE RUHLMANN FURNITURE I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO FILL IT WITH WAS TOO EXPENSIVE, TOO SHINY AND TOO SMALL. SO I MADE MY OWN. 

WHERE CAN PEOPLE BUY RICK OWENS FURNITURE? 

I SELL IT THROUGH GALERIE JOUSSE IN PARIS. 

COULD YOU IMAGINE STOPPING THE FASHION THING ONE DAY COMPLETELY TO CONCENTRATE ON INTERIORS OR ARCHITECTURE? 

PROBABLY NOT. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, I'M ADDICTED TO THE FASHION PACE NOW. WAITING 7 YEARS TO GET A BUILDING UP WOULD FUCKING KILL ME. 

DO YOU STILL WORK FOR REVILLON? 

NO. THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT A LUXURY HOUSE HAS TO DO. AND MAYBE I WASN'T THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THEM TO ATTRACT INVESTORS WITH. WHO KNOWS. MAYBE THEIR NEXT STEP WILL BE A HUGE SUCCESS. 

WHAT'S SO FASCINATING ABOUT FURS? 

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WORKING AS A DESIGNER FOR A MAISON WAS A SELLOUT FOR DESIGNERS AFRAID OF COMMITTING THEMSELVES TO THE RISK OF DOING THEIR OWN THING. BUT REVILLON WAS SPECIFICALLY A FRENCH FUR MAISON PEAKING IN FIN-DE-SIECLE PARIS: MY NE PLUS ULTRA OF RARIFIED ARTIFICE AND GLAMOUR. PROUST'S MOTHER AND SARAH BERNHARDT WORE REVILLON FURS. I COULDN'T RESIST. AND IF MARBLE IS A STEP BEYOND STONE FOR A SCULPTOR, FUR IS A STEP BEYOND LEATHER FOR A DESIGNER. THE TOUCH OF FUR IS A MIRACLE THAT CAN'T BE DUPLICATED. LIKE THE WARMTH OF WOOD OR THE RICHNESS OF A FISTFUL OF EARTH. 

WHAT DO LUXURY AND DECAY MEAN TO YOU? 

THERE'S A MOMENT JUST PAST ITS PEAK WHEN A FLOWER GIVES OFF ITS STRONGEST SCENT. ITS LAST GASP. THERE'S ALSO A MOMENT IN MOST OPERAS WHEN THE HEROINE'S ARIA REACHES A TRANSCENDENT PEAK WHERE THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO FROM, AND SHE DIES. I LIKE THAT IDEA OF EXTREME, ULTIMATE SENSATION. AND I LOVE THE RIDICULOUSNESS OF IT. 

HOW DO YOU STAGE YOUR PERSONAL DECAY? 

DO I STAGE IT OR HAS IT BECOME REAL? 

PLEASE DEFINE 'BEAUTY.' 

ONE OF LIFE'S GREAT MYSTERIES, LIKE LOVE AND DEATH. 

ARE YOU AFRAID OF DEATH? 

I THOUGHT I WASN'T WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND THEN GOT TOO CLOSE TO IT. IT'S A GOOD LESSON THAT MAKES ONE MORE APPRECIATIVE LATER. 

WHAT ARE YOU BELIEVING IN? 

REASON AND ORDER. 

YOUR GIRLFRIEND, MICHELE LAMY, PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR YOUR LIFE AND WORK. CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP? 

SHE REMINDS ME TO BE HUMAN. SHE'S ALL INTUITION WHERE I'M TOO PRACTICAL. SHE'S THE INCENSE AND VEILS BEHIND MY CONCRETE WALLS. 

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE FRENCH MENTALITY? 

I DON'T REALLY PERSONALLY ENGAGE WITH FRANCE. I'M JUST A VISITOR. 

DO YOU FEEL DESIRE FOR LOS ANGELES SOMETIMES? 

NOT REALLY. I'M NOT VERY SENTIMENTAL, AND THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER BEACHES TO VISIT. 

CAN YOU IMAGINE RETURNING ONE DAY? 

ONE DAY MY PARENTS WILL BE TOO TIRED TO VISIT. 

AND THE FINAL QUESTION: WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE USA?