HAARETZ NEWSPAPER – FEBRUARY 2009 – MASTER OF DISASTER – BY EUGENE RABKIN

FEBRUARY 2009

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RICK OWENS, AN AMERICAN DESIGNER WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN PARIS, IS THE LAST PERSON TO TELL YOU THAT HE IS A REBEL. DRAPED IN A BLACK CASHMERE SHAWL, WHICH COULD BE A FLAG OF HIS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR FASHION LABEL THAT PRODUCES AGGRESSIVE CLOTHING WITH ELEMENTS OF GOTH AND PUNK, OWENS IS SITTING AT ONE OF THE TABLES IN HIS SHOWROOM-CUM-STUDIO-CUM-APARTMENT ON PLACE DU PALAIS BOURBON IN PARIS. IT IS THE MORNING AFTER HIS FALL/WINTER 2009 MENSWEAR RUNWAY SHOW, HIS FIRST IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. IT WAS AN INSTANT HIT. THE RAVE REVIEWS ARE ALREADY PUBLISHED BY THE FASHION PRESS, AND THE FIRST-FLOOR SHOWROOM IS SWARMED WITH STORE BUYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE ROOM IS LONG AND NARROW, LINED WITH RACKS OF OWENS'S SIGNATURE SLIM LEATHER JACKETS, ASYMMETRIC TAILORED COATS, AND FEATHERWEIGHT RAYON T-SHIRTS. HIS CHUNKY BLACK BOOTS (INCLUDING A MEN'S PAIR FEATURING A FIVE-INCH HEEL), OVERSIZED SNEAKERS AND HUGE LEATHER BAGS ARE DISPLAYED IN THE ADJACENT ROOM. THE MAIN ROOM HAS A BACK GLASS WALL WITH A DOOR THAT OPENS ONTO A COURTYARD. TWO STUFFED MONKEYS ON A STAND (OWENS IS FASCINATED WITH MONKEYS) ARE THE ROOM'S ONLY DECORATION. BLACK-CLAD ASSISTANTS RUSH AROUND FILLING ORDERS. TALL, SKINNY BOYS MODEL THE CLOTHES FOR THE BUYERS, PUTTING THEM ON AND RIPPING THEM OFF AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT. AND THE PHONE RINGS OFF THE HOOK. OWENS IS SIPPING COFFEE AND BUTTERING HIS RAISIN TOAST, NONPLUSSED THE HUBBUB. HIS TANNED FACE WITH EXPRESSIVE BROWN EYES AND LONG BLACK HAIR IS ABSOLUTELY CALM AND JUST A LITTLE BIT WEARY. 

THOUGH THE FASHION WORLD OFTEN CLAIMS THAT IT LOVES A REBEL, IT RARELY WELCOMES ONE. OWENS IS ONE OF THE FEW EXCEPTIONS WHO HAS NOT ONLY SURVIVED IN THIS CUTTHROAT BUSINESS, BUT HAS ALSO PROSPERED. HE WAS BORN IN LOS ANGELES IN 1961. HIS FAMILY SOON MOVED TO PORTERVILLE, A SMALL TOWN HALFWAY BETWEEN L.A. AND SAN FRANCISCO. AS A TEENAGER IN HIGH SCHOOL, OWENS GOT INTO GOTH CULTURE. 'WEARING BLACK WAS A WAY TO PROJECT A MORE MENACING DEMEANOR, AND TO HIDE MY INSECURITIES,' HE SAYS. STILL, THOSE YEARS HAVE LEFT A PERMANENT IMPRINT ON HIS STYLE. THERE IS NOTHING POLISHED ABOUT HIS DESIGNS. THE RAW AND TWISTED SEAMS, THE UNFINISHED HEMS, AND THE EARTHLY COLORS EMPHASIZE HIS DESIRE TO REFLECT A WORLD THAT IS IMPERFECT. THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT FIRST ATTRACTED ME TO HIS CLOTHES. THEY FIRMLY INSIST ON IMPERFECTION. THEY DEFY THE GLAMOUR FANTASY THAT THE POPULAR CULTURE, FASHION INCLUDED, TRIES TO CRAM DOWN OUR THROATS. 

AFTER FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL, OWENS MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO STUDY ART HISTORY AT OTIS COLLEGE. HE DROPPED OUT IN HIS SECOND YEAR AND GOT A JOB AS A PATTERN MAKER IN A SPORTSWEAR COMPANY OWNED BY MICHELE LAMY, A FRENCH EXPATRIATE WHO FOR MANY YEARS LIVED IN LOS ANGELES. OWENS AND LAMY SOON STARTED AN AFFAIR. AT THE TIME LAMY HAD A HUSBAND AND OWENS, WHO IS BISEXUAL, HAD A BOYFRIEND. AFTER A WHILE, THEY SPLIT UP FROM THEIR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS AND MOVED IN TOGETHER. LAMY CLOSED HER SPORTSWEAR BUSINESS AND OPENED A RESTAURANT, AND OWENS STARTED MAKING CLOTHES. 

LAMY DESCENDED THE STAIRS AND OWENS INTRODUCED US. SHE MAKES QUITE AN IMPRESSION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN HER BEFORE. IN HER SIXTIES, SHE IS PETITE AND FIERCE. HER PIERCING BLUE EYES, DEEPLY SET IN HER DARK FACE, ARE INQUISITIVE AND GLOW WITH ENERGY. SHE WAS DRESSED IN AN ALLIGATOR VEST, WITH A FUR VEST ON TOP OF IT, GREY-AND-BLACK TIGHTS WITH A RECTANGLE PATTERN, AND OVER-THE-KNEE BOOTS. A HUGE OXIDIZED SILVER NECKLACE RESEMBLING A CROSS HUNG ON HER NECK. SHE LOOKED LIKE A VIKING QUEEN MAGICALLY TRANSPORTED INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. I WISHED SHE'D CARRIED A SWORD. 'YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TWO YEARS WE LIVED TOGETHER, I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD SHE WAS SAYING,' SAYS OWENS, 'AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE FRENCH ACCENT, BUT BECAUSE SHE IS A VERY INSTINCTUAL PERSON. SHE DOESN'T FINISH SENTENCES. SHE HAS NO REGARD FOR PUNCTUATION. SHE TALKS WITH HER HANDS. AND IT'S ALL VERY VAGUE, WHEREAS I AM REALLY A VERY PRAGMATIC PERSON. BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED. WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR NINETEEN YEARS.' 

THEIR LIFE TOGETHER IN LOS ANGELES WAS INFUSED WITH DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, BUT TODAY BOTH ARE COMPLETELY SOBER. OWENS WORKS OUT AT A LOCAL GYM ALMOST EVERY DAY, EVEN WHILE VISITING HIS FACTORY IN ITALY. 'I WORK OUT AND THEN I COME HOME AND TAKE A LITTLE NAP. I NEED THIS TIME TO MYSELF. OTHERWISE I GET OVERSATURATED. WHEN I USED TO LIVE IN LOS ANGELES I HAD A PERSONAL TRAINER AND WOULD TAKE STEROIDS. I LOVE STEROIDS. THEY GET YOU TO A HIGHER LEVEL WHEN YOU WORK OUT. OF COURSE I GOT TOO PUFFY, BUT THEY HELPED ME TO BUILD UP THE MUSCLE, AND ONCE I LOST ALL THAT TOP WEIGHT, I WAS IN GOOD SHAPE.' OWENS'S BODY IS NOW SLIM AND MUSCULAR, AND HE DOES NOT MIND DISPLAYING IT. HIS STORE IN PALAIS ROYAL FEATURES A NUDE WAX STATUE OF HIM THAT OWENS COMMISSIONED FROM THE ARTISANS AT MADAME TUSSAUDS. THIS STATUE WAS FIRST DISPLAYED IN 2006 AT PITTI UOMO, AN ITALIAN MENSWEAR FASHION FAIR. IT WAS SUSPENDED IN THE AIR, THE HANDS HOLDING ITS PENIS, OUT OF WHICH A CONSTANT STREAM OF FAKE URINE POURED ONTO SHATTERED GLASS. IN THE STORE, THE STATUE'S LOWER PART IS COVERED IN A BLACK BLANKET. 'ONCE, RICK WAS IN THE STORE ADJUSTING THE BLANKET ON THE STATUE, AND SOME PEOPLE CAME INTO THE STORE AND WERE STARING AT ONE RICK FIDDLING WITH ANOTHER RICK'S GROIN,' RECALLED BARBARA AYME JOUVE, THE STORE MANAGER. 'AND I SAID, 'RICK, THERE ARE PEOPLE STARING AT YOU,' AND HE TURNS AROUND, SMILES, AND DROPS THE BLANKET.' OWENS'S FASCINATION WITH THE DOUBLE IS APPARENT ELSEWHERE: IN A BOOK OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHS, 'L'AI-JE BIEN DESCENDU?' THERE IS A PICTURE OF OWENS URINATING INTO HIS DOPPELGANGER'S MOUTH. 

FOR A WHILE OWENS AND LAMY LIVED IN AN APARTMENT OFF OF HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD. LAMY SPENT MOST OF HER TIME AT THE RESTAURANT AND OWENS CONCENTRATED ON HIS DESIGNS. HE AVOIDED THE FASHION WORLD LIKE A PLAGUE. 'RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING I STEERED CLEAR OF THE EDITORS, PR COMPANIES AND STYLISTS. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE STORES I THOUGHT HIGHLY OF, THE ONES THAT 'GOT' FASHION. I SIMPLY SHOWED UP WITH A BAG OF CLOTHES AT THEIR DOOR AND I WOULDN'T LEAVE UNTIL I MET WITH THE OWNER.' SUCH PERSEVERANCE PAID OFF. OWENS FIRST GOT HIS CLOTHES INTO CHARLES GALLAY IN LOS ANGELES, AND THEN CUT AN EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH MAXFIELD AFTER CHARLES GALLAY CLOSED. NEXT, OWENS WENT TO ALAN BILZERIAN, IN BOSTON. BY GOING DIRECTLY TO THE STORES, OWENS LET HIS CLOTHES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND PEOPLE RESPONDED TO HIS LANGUAGE OF DESTROYED LUXURY. HIS TALENT FOR COMBINING ELEGANCE WITH GRIT MANIFESTED IN WASHED SHRUNKEN LEATHER JACKETS WITH SUPER-SLIM ARMS AND CASHMERE T-SHIRTS WHOSE SEAMS WERE IRREVERENTLY SHREDDED. OWENS PRESENTED BEAUTY OF ANOTHER SORT, WITHOUT THE FATUOUS GLITTER. THIS WAS IN THE LATE NINETIES. BY THE END OF THE DECADE, THE AUDIENCE SLOWLY BEGAN TO RESPOND AND OWENS'S NAME STARTED TO MAKE ITS ROUNDS IN THE FASHION CIRCLES, FINALLY REACHING ANNA WINTOUR, THE EDITOR OF AMERICAN VOGUE. WINTOUR GAVE OWENS PROMINENT COVERAGE IN THE MAGAZINE, WHICH ALSO SPONSORED HIS FIRST RUNWAY SHOW IN 2002, SEVEN YEARS AFTER HE STARTED SELLING CLOTHES IN STORES. IN THE SAME YEAR, WITH WINTOUR'S INFLUENCE, OWENS RECEIVED AN AWARD FROM THE COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA (CFDA). SOON THEREAFTER, AN OLD FRENCH FUR HOUSE, REVILLON, TAPPED OWENS TO BE ITS CREATIVE DIRECTOR. AROUND THE SAME TIME OWENS DEVELOPED A FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LUCA RUGGERI, WHOSE INVESTMENT FIRM PARTNERED WITH YOUNG DESIGNERS. FROM THE START, RUGGERI HAD FULL CONFIDENCE IN OWENS. 'I FIRST SAW RICK'S WORK AT MARIA LUISA [A PARISIAN BOUTIQUE],' SAYS RUGGERI, 'AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY INTRIGUED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH UNCONVENTIONAL CLOTHES ANYWHERE. I ASKED THE OWNER WHO THE DESIGNER WAS, BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD OF HIM. NEXT TIME I WAS IN LOS ANGELES, I LOOKED RICK UP. WE HAD A MEETING AND WE HIT IT OFF.' RUGGERI INVESTED IN OWENS, AND FOUND AN ITALIAN MANUFACTURER FOR HIM, OLMAR AND MIRTA. 'IT IS A REAL MOM-AND-POP OPERATION,' OWENS SAYS, 'AND IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. THEY'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE MY DESIGNS, AND IT WAS HARD TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I LIVED SIX MONTHS OUT OF A YEAR IN THE FACTORY, BECAUSE THE TOWN DIDN'T HAVE A HOTEL. THEY WERE REALLY NICE TO ME. THOUGH. THEY GAVE ME A ROOM WITH A COUCH, WHICH ALSO DOUBLED AS MY OFFICE, AND BUILT A SHOWER FOR ME.' AROUND THE SAME TIME OWENS WAS HIRED AS A CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR REVILLON, AN OLD FRENCH FUR COMPANY. FINALLY, SHUTTLING BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND EUROPE BECAME UNBEARABLE, AND IN 2003 OWENS AND LAMY MOVED TO PARIS. 

TODAY OWENS FEELS AT HOME IN THE CITY OF LIGHT. 'FROM MY PLACE I WALK THROUGH THE TUILERIES GARDENS TO PALAIS ROYAL [HIS BOUTIQUE NEAR THE LOUVRE], AND TO MY GYM. TO SAY THAT IT'S MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS AMAZING. IT JUST BLOWS ME AWAY. WHEN WE FIRST MOVED AND WE WOULD DRIVE THROUGH PLACE DE LA CONCORDE ON THE WAY HOME, I WOULD THINK, 'THAT'S INCREDIBLE. THAT'S WHAT MY LIFE IS LIKE NOW.' AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, NOW EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I FORGET TO NOTICE ALL THIS SPLENDOR AND I GET MAD AT MYSELF.' DESPITE THE MOVE, OWENS STILL KEEPS TIES WITH HIS PARENTS IN PORTERVILLE. 'I BRING THEM TO PARIS TWICE A YEAR FOR MY WOMEN'S SHOWS. FIRST IT WAS A HUGE DEAL FOR MY PARENTS TO COME HERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE FROM A SMALL TOWN AND THEY NEVER TRAVELED, BUT NOW THEY ARE BORED WITH PARIS. I LIKE BRINGING THEM HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL PROTECTIVE OF ME, AND I LIKE TO FEEL THAT. OF COURSE THEY CAN BE OVERPOWERING, ESPECIALLY MY DAD. HE USED TO BE A REAL FUNDAMENTALIST. HE'S MELLOWED OUT NOW, BUT HE STILL WILL SAY SOMETHING HILARIOUS, LIKE, 'DON'T YOU KNOW ANY HETEROSEXUALS?' I THINK THAT MY SUCCESS HAS FORCED HIM TO COME TO TERMS WITH MY WAY OF LIFE. MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING. I STILL TEASE HIM SOMETIMES. HE'LL INTRODUCE ME TO SOMEONE AND SAY, 'THIS IS MY SON. HE IS A BUSINESSMAN IN FASHION,' AND I'LL SAY, 'I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUSINESS. I'M JUST A BIG SISSY MAKING DRESSES.'' 

THE FRENCH HAVE A NOTORIOUSLY AMBIVALENT RELATIONSHIP WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, AND OWENS WAS UNSURE OF THE RECEPTION HE WOULD GET DESIGNING FOR REVILLON. 'AN AMERICAN DESIGNING FOR A VENERABLE OLD FRENCH HOUSE IS NOT EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT BOWLS THEM OVER, BUT I DID NOT CARE. I DON'T BELIEVE IN REVITALIZATION OF OLD FASHION HOUSES. IT'S A PUSSY THING TO DO, JUST FOR THE PAYCHECK. IT'S SO MUCH MORE HARDCORE TO DO YOUR OWN THING. SO, I DID NOT FEEL THE WEIGHT OF TRADITION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND I STARTED FROM SCRATCH. I THINK IN THE END I WON THEM OVER.' IT IS HARD TO SAY WHAT THE FRENCH LOVE IN OWENS. MAYBE IT WAS HIS GIG AT REVILLON, WHICH LASTED BRIEFLY BEFORE THAT COMPANY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. OR MAYBE THEIR FASCINATION WITH OWENS WAS OF THE SORT OF THE COMPLACENT BOURGEOIS WATCHING A WESTERN. AND HERE WAS A DRUGSTORE COWBOY OF THEIR OWN: WEIRD, UNCONVENTIONAL AND A COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THEM. 

PERHAPS THIS ENIGMATIC IMAGE IS WHAT ALSO LURES CELEBRITIES TO HIS WORK, BECAUSE OWENS IS CURRENTLY IN THE SPOTLIGHT. THE ONLINE AND PRINT TABLOIDS ARE FULL OF IMAGES OF STARS WITH (JENNIFER ANISTON, LINDSAY LOHAN) AND WITHOUT OCCUPATIONS (THE OLSEN TWINS, VICTORIA BECKHAM) WEARING OWENS'S CLINGY TEES AND SHRUNKEN LEATHER JACKETS. NOT TO BE OUTDONE, THE MALE POP ROYALTY LIKE JOHN MAYER AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE HAVE MADE OWENS'S JUMBO SNEAKERS (WHICH RETAIL FOR $1400) THEIR FOOTWEAR OF CHOICE. OWENS IS AWARE THAT HIS DESIGNS ARE BECOMING TRENDY, BUT THIS DOES NOT BOTHER HIM. HE IS CONFIDENT THAT THIS GLITZY EXPOSURE WILL NOT ALIENATE HIS LONGTIME FANS. 'I AM PLEASED THAT PEOPLE RESPOND TO MY WORK. IT IS VALIDATING. AND VALIDATION, AS OPRAH WINFREY SAYS, IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE RESPOND TO MY WORK. SEEING SOMEONE IN MY CLOTHES ALWAYS MAKES ME HAPPY. I CAN'T THINK OF THE DOWNSIDE.' 

II 

DESPITE BEING FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL, OWENS GROWS HIS BUSINESS CAREFULLY. IT NOW COMPRISES THE MAIN LINE FOR MEN AND WOMEN, THE DENIM LINE DRKSHDW FOR BOTH SEXES, A LOWER-PRICED WOMEN'S LINE CALLED LILIES, A LINE OF FURS CALLED PALAIS ROYAL, AND A FURNITURE LINE THAT OWENS SELLS IN A PARIS ART GALLERY. 'THE FURNITURE CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, REALLY,' SAYS OWENS. 'ONCE WE GOT TO PARIS, I COULDN'T AFFORD THE FURNITURE THAT I LIKED, BECAUSE I WANTED ORIGINAL STUFF FROM LE CORBUSIER AND ROBERT MALLET-STEVENS. BESIDES, I LIKE EVERYTHING TO BE OVERSIZED AND EVERYTHING I SAW WAS SO SMALL! SO I MADE MY OWN STUFF. THEN WE DECIDED TO SHOW IT AT A GALLERY, AND IT KIND OF STUCK.' 

TODAY OWENS HAS SIX ASSISTANTS: THREE IN ITALY AND THREE IN PARIS. 'MANUFACTURING IN ITALY WAS NOT AN EASY TRANSITION. IN L.A. I WAS USED TO WORKING IN AN ISOLATED AND RECLUSIVE WAY. AND NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HAD TO COMMUNICATE MY IDEAS AND RESPOND TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I AM NOT THAT GREGARIOUS.' 

HIS DESIGNS SELL IN THREE HUNDRED STORES WORLDWIDE, AND OWENS HAS A BOUTIQUE IN PARIS AND NEW YORK. HIS THIRD STORE WILL OPEN IN LONDON IN MARCH, AND HE IS EXPLORING POTENTIAL RETAIL PARTNERSHIPS IN SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN. 

STILL, OWENS CONSIDERS HIS COMPANY SMALL, AND HE IS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. 'BECAUSE WE ARE A NICHE COMPANY, I CAN AFFORD NOT TO CHANGE FROM SEASON TO SEASON. AND THUS I CAN INSIST ON MY OWN VOICE. I HAVE AN AUDIENCE THAT I COMMUNICATE WITH, AND IT IS FAIRLY SMALL. IF I HAD TO COMMUNICATE WITH A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE, THAT WOULD BE FAR MORE CHALLENGING. THIS WAY, I CAN GO AS FAR AS I WANT, AND I HAVE NO RESTRAINTS. IT IS A TREMENDOUSLY LUXURIOUS PLACE TO BE.' YET, OWENS IS PRAGMATIC, 'OF COURSE, I AM NOT IRRESPONSIBLE. I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO SELL A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LEATHER JACKETS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PLAY WITH FUR, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I KNOW THAT I HAVE TO HAVE SEVERAL T-SHIRTS IN EVERY COLLECTION. BUT THESE ARE NOT COMPROMISES.' 

ALTHOUGH HE WANTS TO EXPAND, OWENS IS WARY ABOUT GROWING HIS BUSINESS TOO MUCH AND ALIENATING HIS CORE CUSTOMERS. HE WANTS TO CREATE A PERFUME, AND HE HAS BEEN TALKING TO SEVERAL BEAUTY CONGLOMERATES. 'IN ORDER TO DO THE PERFUME RIGHT WITH A BIG COMPANY, YOU HAVE TO ADVERTISE. IF I DON'T COMMIT TO ADVERTISING, THEY WON'T COMMIT TO CREATING A SCENT FOR ME. BUT I AM VERY RELUCTANT TO ADVERTISE. WHEN I SAW A FIRST YOHJI YAMAMOTO PERFUME AD, I KIND OF CRINGED, PRECISELY BECAUSE I HAVE UTTER RESPECT FOR YOHJI'S WORK. I WOULD NOT WANT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO ME. AT THE SAME TIME, SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS ARE URGING ME TO DO A PERFUME AND ADVERTISE IT. AT FIRST I RESISTED. THEN I REALIZED THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN 'FASHION MOMENT.' I REMEMBER THOSE COMME DES GARCONS PERFUME ADS WITH THE GHETTO KIDS WITH THE BRACES, OR THE FIRST MINIMALIST HELMUT LANG ADS, THESE WERE FASHION MOMENTS. I UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY DON'T WANT ADVERTISING FOR THE SAKE OF ADVERTISING; THEY WANT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. STILL, I AM NOT GOING TO ADVERTISE BECAUSE OF THE CRINGE-INDUCING SELL-OUT ELEMENT UNLESS I FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. I THINK AT THIS POINT MY CUSTOMER LIKES ME WHERE I AM WITHOUT ANY ADVERTISING.' STILL, THE PERFUME IS ON OWENS'S AGENDA. HE WANTS TO CAPTURE HIS FASCINATION WITH LIFE AND DEATH IN A SCENT. 'I THINK THE BOTTOM NOTE WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE INCENSE, TO REFLECT DEATH,' OWENS SAYS, 'AND THE TOP NOTE WOULD PROBABLY SMELL LIKE A LILY, TO REFLECT LIFE. AND MAYBE I'LL ADD SOME MENTHOL TO THAT.' 

BUT FOR NOW OWENS IS CONTENT WITH HIS WORK. 'I HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT ME GOING TO 'THE NEXT LEVEL.' WHAT IS THIS NEXT LEVEL? I HAVE ENOUGH WORK. I GET TO EXPRESS MYSELF EVERY MINUTE OF MY LIFE. I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW. I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SOCIAL PRESSURE OR WITH PEOPLE INTRUDING IN MY LIFE JUST BECAUSE I AM FAMOUS. THE MONEY WILL COME. WE HAVE A STEADY BUSINESS AND I HOPE IT CONTINUES THIS WAY. OF COURSE, THAT'S MY ATTITUDE NOW. WHO KNOWS WHAT I'LL WANT IN TWO YEARS.' 

OWENS UNDERSTANDS THAT FASHION IS FICKLE AND IS IN CONSTANT DEMAND OF THE NEW, BUT HIS DESIGNS ARE BASED ON CONSISTENCY. 'PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME IF I WILL RUN OUT OF IDEAS. AND REALLY, I'VE GOT THEM ALL. I JUST NEED TO SORT THEM OUT AND SLOWLY DEVELOP THEM. JUMPING FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER IS NOT FOR ME. I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE DO IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE.' 

MAINTAINING THE DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN ARTISTRY AND COMMERCE IS SOMETHING THAT OWENS HOPES TO TEACH HIS PROTÉGÉ, A YOUNG PROMISING LONDON DESIGNER NAMED GARETH PUGH WHO IS FAMOUS FOR HIS THEATRICAL PRESENTATIONS. 'I APPLAUD GARETH'S VISION, AND I AM HIS MOST ARDENT SUPPORTER, BUT HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN TO PRODUCE WEARABLE CLOTHING IN ORDER TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND EXPERIMENT WITH THE MORE EXTREME STUFF. I WAS JUST TRYING ON SOME OF HIS CLOTHES BEFORE THE SHOW AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WILL GLADLY CARRY IT IN MY STORE--IN BLACK.' OWENS WAS SAYING THIS PEERING OVER MY SHOULDER AS THE LAST SHIPMENT OF CLOTHES FOR PUGH'S COLLECTION WAS ARRIVING THROUGH THE DOOR JUST A DAY BEFORE THE SHOW. 

III 

OWENS DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES. HIS OWN LIFE IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THEM. THE GOTH CULTURE IS REFLECTED HEAVILY IN HIS DESIGNS, BUT ALSO PUNK AND GLAM ROCK. MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE ARE AMONG HIS OTHER INFLUENCES. 'IT'S LIKE A LITTLE RITUAL FOR ME. I LOOK AT THE WORK OF BRANCUSI, LE CORBUSIER, LUIGI MORETTI; ALL OF THESE CLEAN LINES THAT ARE IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACES IN THEIR WORK REMIND ME THAT I DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES. I DON'T HAVE TO ADD SOME MORE STRAPS TO MAKE IT INTERESTING. I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING SUPERFLUOUS. AND ALL OF THEIR CREATIONS FIT IN PERFECTLY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE IN. AND THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO DO. OF COURSE, MY ENVIRONMENT IS A FANTASY.' 

THE FANTASY THAT OWENS MANIFESTS IN HIS CLOTHES IS APPARENT IN EVERYTHING HE DOES, FROM HIS FASCINATION WITH ARTIFICE AND CAMP TO THE NAMES OF THE COLORS HE USES FOR HIS DESIGNS: 'MILK,' 'PEARL,' 'DUST,' AND 'DARK SHADOW.' THE ONLY COLOR UNTOUCHED BY A NAME IS BLACK. ''DUST' IS SUCH AN ETERNAL, BIBLICAL WORD THAT HAS BECOME REPRESENTATIVE OF EVERYTHING I WANTED TO PROJECT,' SAYS OWENS, 'IN THE BEGINNING, ALMOST EVERYTHING WAS LIGHT GREY. I'VE BEEN WEARING BLACK ALL THROUGHOUT MY ADOLESCENCE AND YOUNG ADULTHOOD, AND WHEN I LOOK BACK I SEE THAT AS AN EXPRESSION OF FEAR. I WAS HIDING BEHIND BLACK. I HAVE COME TO LOOK AT IT ALMOST AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS AND BEGAN THINKING THAT GREY IS A BRAVE COLOR TO WEAR, BECAUSE THERE IS AMBIGUITY AND GENTLENESS TO IT; IT IS MODEST, RESTRAINED AND DIGNIFIED, TENDER AND NOT AGGRESSIVE. BLACK IS AN EXCLUSIVE COLOR, AND DUST IS INCLUSIVE. WE ALL BECOME DUST. SO THAT NAME STUCK. AND 'DARK SHADOW,' WELL, THAT WAS JUST A PRETTY NAME FOR A COLOR.' 

THE INFLUENCE OF ARCHITECTURE EXTENDS TO OWENS'S CHOICE OF FABRICS. 'WHEN I AM LOOKING AT A NEW FABRIC, I THINK, 'WILL THIS WORK IN A JEAN-MICHEL FRANK ROOM?' I LIKE FABRICS THAT ARE EITHER CASUAL BUT USED IN A SUMPTUOUS WAY, OR SUMPTUOUS BUT USED IN A CASUAL WAY. I HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MILLS I USE, AND THEY ARE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT WITH ME. THIS WAY I CAN CREATE FABRIC MIXES FROM SCRATCH. I STILL WORK ON THE FABRICS A LOT. I FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE MANY EXPERIMENTS WITH THE SILHOUETTE, BUT I HAVEN'T MANIPULATED THE FABRIC ITSELF ENOUGH. THIS SEASON I WORKED WITH A TAPESTRY MAKER TO GET A CERTAIN TEXTURE AND IT ENDED UP LOOKING LIKE POLYNESIAN PLACEMATS YOU BUY AT A GIFT SHOP. IT WAS AWFUL. BUT IT'S A START.' 

IN THE CURRENT MEN'S COLLECTION OWENS ADDED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TAILORING, WHOSE STRUCTURE ALSO REMINDS HIM OF ARCHITECTURE. 'I AM TRYING TO ADD MORE TAILORING, BUT IT'S A NIGHTMARE. I CAN'T FIND A TAILOR THAT CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT I WANT. THE TRADITIONAL TAILORS ARE SO UPTIGHT ABOUT THE CLASSIC SILHOUETTE. IT IS VERY HARD TO DO SOMETHING NEW. YOU ARE DEALING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS PROUD OF THEIR CREATIVITY, AND YOU HAVE TO IN TURN TO DOMINATE THEM WITH YOUR VISION WITHOUT DISRESPECTING THEM.' 

THE ARCHITECTS IN TURN RESPOND TO OWENS. ANDREW DRYDEN, OF THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM BJARKE INGELS GROUP IN COPENHAGEN, IS A BIG FAN OF HIS WORK. 'I LOVE THE RAW FEELINGS OF RICK'S CLOTHES, THE SHARPLY CUT FORMS AND HIS ABILITY TO PLAY WITH PROPORTION THAT GOES TO THE EXTREME WITHOUT BECOMING CARTOONISH. THE CLOTHES ARE BOTH REFINED AND CRUDE, GRACEFUL AND GOTHIC. THERE IS A BALANCE BETWEEN HEAVY BRUTALISM AND GRACE. WHEN I PUT ON HIS CLOTHES, I FEEL LIKE THEY ARE AN EXTENSION OF MYSELF.' 

IV 

A FEW HOURS LATER AFTER INTERVIEWING OWENS, I WAS SITTING ON A LOW-SLUNG COUCH IN HIS PARIS STORE, OBSERVING THE SCENE. THE GALLERY OF SHOPS AT PALAIS ROYAL FRAME A BEAUTIFUL TREE-LINED GARDEN. PEOPLE STROLL PAST THE SMALL BOUTIQUES, PEERING IN THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THE STORE OCCUPIES A SMALL, TWO-STORY SPACE. THE FIRST FLOOR IS DIVIDED INTO TWO ROOMS. ONE DISPLAYS THE MENSWEAR AND THE OTHER ONE WOMENSWEAR. THE TOP FLOOR HAS ONLY ONE ROOM THAT HOUSES SALE MERCHANDISE AND A RACK OF FUR JACKETS FROM OWENS'S FUR LINE. THE INTERIOR OF THE STORE IS DONE IN EARTHLY COLORS. THE WALLS ARE PAINTED OFF-WHITE AND THE FLOORS AND BIRCH PLYWOOD DISPLAYS ARE COVERED IN BROWN CARPET. BROWN WOOL FELT BLANKETS ARE WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING'S INTERNAL FIXTURES AND BROWN CURTAINS COVER THE WINDOWS. EACH OF THE ROOMS ON THE FIRST FLOOR HAS A SCULPTURE CREATED BY OWENS: MOOSE HORNS SUPPORTED BY TWO OSTRICH EGGS AND A SKULL. THE EGGS SYMBOLIZE LIFE, THE SKULL SYMBOLIZES DEATH, AND MOOSE HORNS SYMBOLIZE HONOR. THE INFAMOUS WAX STATUE TOWERS OVER THE FIRST-FLOOR CASH REGISTER. OWENS'S STORE IN LONDON WILL FEATURE HIS WAX HEAD ON A PLATE. AS OWENS TOLD ONE PUBLICATION, HE WAS GOING FOR 'A MORE CLASSICAL MOOD.' 

THE BOUTIQUE WAS SWARMING WITH PEOPLE. THE PARISIAN HAUTE BOURGEOIS, WITH THEIR LAPDOGS IN HAND, WERE MIXING WITH THE ITALIANS IN THEIR MANDATORY OVER-EMBELLISHED JEANS. FRENCH TEENAGERS AND YOUNG JAPANESE TOURISTS WERE TRYING ON OWENS'S SNEAKERS. THREE MIDDLE-AGED RUSSIANS WALKED IN AND STROLLED AROUND. THE WOMAN TURNED TO HER COMPANIONS AND SAID, 'THIS GUY IS HOT RIGHT NOW.' THEY WALKED OVER TO THE DISPLAY CASE BY THE SHOP WINDOW AND STARED AT THE FIVE-INCH HEELS. 'THOSE ARE FOR MEN,' ONE OF THEM GIGGLED, AND THEY LEFT. 

THERE WERE VERY FEW CLIENTS IN THE STORE THAT LOOKED LIKE DIE-HARD RICK OWENS CLIENTS, ALTHOUGH ONE COUPLE MADE FOR A BEAUTIFUL EXCEPTION. TONY GREENLAND AND PASCALE YOUF, OF THE LONDON ARCHITECTURE FIRM SEVENTH WAVE, ARE ARDENT SUPPORTERS OF OWENS. EVERY FEW MONTHS THEY TREK FROM LONDON TO PARIS JUST TO SHOP AT THE STORE. 'WE LOVE HIS WORK PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS SO ARCHITECTURAL. IT DOES NOT MERELY CONFORM TO HUMAN ANATOMY, BUT TRIES TO GO BEYOND IT.' AND THEY WORE THE CLOTHES TO PROVE IT. GREENLAND WORE OWENS'S JEANS, WHICH ARE USUALLY IN HIGH DEMAND, A LONG SLEEVE TEE, AND A MOTORCYCLE LEATHER VEST. YOUF WAS SPORTING ONE OF OWENS'S LEATHER JACKETS WHOSE CLEAN GEOMETRIC LINES FORMED TWO TRIANGLES THAT EXTENDED AWAY FROM THE BODY AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM. THE JACKET LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF 'TRANSFORMERS.' TO COMPLETE THIS EXTREME ENSEMBLE, SHE WORE OWENS'S SILVER OVER-THE-KNEE BOOTS WITH A WEDGE HEEL THAT SLANTED FORTY-FIVE DEGREES. TWO LARGE SHOPPING BAGS FULL WITH OWENS'S GARMENTS THEY JUST PURCHASED STOOD IN FRONT OF THEM. 

BARBARA AYME JOUVE, THE MANAGING PARTNER AT THE STORE, GLIDED AROUND LIKE A FAIRY, DASHING BETWEEN THE ROOMS, BALANCING A TRAY WITH COFFEE FOR ONE CUSTOMER IN ONE HAND AND A LEATHER JACKET FOR ANOTHER CUSTOMER IN THE OTHER HAND. FOUR OTHER SALES ASSISTANTS WERE HELPING HER. A STRIKING CALIFORNIA BLOND, JOUVE HAS LIVED AND WORKED IN PARIS FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS. SHE WORE A TIGHT BLACK LEATHER JACKET, A BLACK SKIRT, AND A PAIR OF BLACK BOOTS – ALL BY OWENS, OF COURSE. HER BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES GLOWED WITH ENTHUSIASM AS SHE SURVEYED THE STORE. BEFORE GOING TO WORK WITH OWENS, JOUVE MANAGED ANOTHER STORE THAT WAS HOUSED IN THE SAME SPACE, AND WHICH WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. WHEN OWENS APPROACHED HER ABOUT A RETAIL PARTNERSHIP, SHE HAD NO SECOND THOUGHTS, 'BUT IT WORKED OUT REALLY WELL.'