COUTURELAB – DECEMBER 2009

DECEMBER 2009

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HOW AND WHEN DID THE RICK OWENS PALAIS ROYAL COLLECTION START? 

WE HAD TAKEN THE LICENSE TO PRODUCE FURS FOR REVILLON, AND MICHELE HAD DEVELOPED A FUR ATELIER IN OUR BUILDING. WHEN MY ARTISTIC DIRECTORSHIP OF REVILLON EXPIRED, WE HAD A FUR STUDIO THAT NEEDED TO KEEP BUSY. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PALAIS ROYAL AND YOUR RICK OWENS COLLECTION, CONSIDERING THAT BOTH USE LUXURIOUS MATERIALS YET BOTH SEEM CASUAL, LIGHT AND UNDERSTATED? 

THE DIFFERENCE IS MICHELE. IT'S HER AFFECTION FOR THE FURRIERS, THE ARTISANS, THE CRAFTSMEN THAT IT TAKES TO WORK WITH FUR THAT MAKES IT A REAL LABOR OF LOVE. SHE TAKES HER FAVORITE SILHOUETTES FROM MY COLLECTIONS AND EDITS THEM, REPROPORTIONS THEM, PERSONALIZES THEM AND TRANSLATES THEM INTO FUR. IT TAKES HER KIND OF MAGIC TO MAKE THIS FUR COLLECTION WHAT IT IS. 

WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP EVERY DAY? 

7:00. 

WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF WHEN YOU ARE AWAKE? 

ORDER. 

AND WHEN YOU ARE ASLEEP? 

ORDER COLLAPSING. 

WHAT DESIGNERS OR ARTISTS INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? 

LE CORBUSIER, LUIGI MORETTI, JEAN MICHEL-FRANK, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, EILEEN GREY. I LOOK AT THEIR WORK DAILY. THEIR SOOTHING CONSISTENCY AND RATIONALISM GIVES ME AN ALMOST MEDITATIVE CALM. 

WHY DO YOU HAVE SCULPTURES AND REPLICAS OF YOURSELF IN YOUR SHOPS? 

I ORIGINALLY COMMISIONED ONE AS A MODERN VERSION OF A PORTRAIT OVER THE MANTLEPIECE. TRADITIONALY WHEN A MAN REACHES A CERTAIN STATION IN LIFE HE HAS A PORTRAIT PAINTED. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN AMUSING EXERCISE IN VANITY AND MORTALITY WITH A DARK UNDERTONE. THERE'S A TRAGIC QUALITY TO TRYING TO CAPTURE YOURSELF FOREVER AT YOUR PRIME. BUT IT BECAME BORING IN THE HOUSE, AND I THOUGHT THE PARIS STORE COULD USE A LITTLE PERVERSITY. NOW ALL THE STORES DON'T FEEL COMPLETE WITHOUT ONE. I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT MY CLOTHES ARE MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY, SO THE FIGURES SEEM TO ILLUSTRATE THAT. 

YOU REMAIN ONE OF THE FEW DESIGNERS TO MANAGED TO ESTABLISH A BRAND NAME WITHOUT ADVERTISING OR A BIG PRESS MACHINE. WHAT MAKES RICK OWENS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST? 

NO CLUE. I'M AS SURPRISED AS YOU ARE. 

WHAT DID YOU WEAR BEFORE YOUR MEN'S COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED? 

ARMY SURPLUS, LEVI'S AND CUSTOM LEATHER. 

YOU HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING YOUNG TALENTS. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GIVING BACK? 

IT'S PURELY SELFISH. I BELIEVE IN CULTIVATING BEAUTY. 

YOU AND MICHELE LAMY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR SO MANY YEARS AND ALSO WORK TOGETHER. HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO KEEP THIS LOVE, PASSION AND CREATIVE COLLABORATION ALIVE? 

LUCKILY WE DON'T HAVE TO TRY. IT JUST HAPPENS. 

CONSIDERING YOUR PASSIONS AND LIFESTYLE, WHAT PIECES WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE FROM COUTURELAB?