HIGHSNOBIETY MAGAZINE – SEPTEMBER 2014 – THE ONGOING

SEPTEMBER 2014

TRANSFORMATION OF RICK OWENS – BY PAUL DAVIES </b>

THE 'RICK OWENS EFFECT' IS A PHENOMENON THAT ALMOST EVERYONE WHO HAS NOTICED THE DESIGNER'S CLOTHES WILL EXPERIENCE AT SOME POINT. IT BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED ONCE AN INDIVIDUAL STARTS BUYING THEM. TYPICALLY, IT WOULD START WITH EITHER A SIMPLE T-SHIRT, A PAIR OF BASKETBALL BOOTS, OR ONE OF HIS SIGNATURE LEATHER JACKETS. THE T-SHIRT – THAT MOST BASIC ITEM OF EVERYONE'S WARDROBE – OFFERS YOU A DEPARTURE POINT FROM THE NORM AND ENTRY IN TO THE WORLD OF RICK, AS THE FASHION COGNOSCENTI LIKE TO REFER TO HIM. IT IS A SEMI-TRANSLUCENT NEUTRAL COLOR THAT IS SO FINELY WOVEN IT RESEMBLES A 15-DENIER STOCKING. IT IS LONG ENOUGH TO REACH YOUR MID-THIGH. YOU PUT IT ON FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WOULD BE FORGIVEN IN THINKING, 'THIS ISN'T A T-SHIRT, IT'S MORE LIKE A DRESS.' AND THEN, AS YOU HURRIEDLY BEGIN TO REMOVE IT, THE EXCESS FABRIC CREATES SHAPE AROUND YOUR TORSO. YOU CATCH YOURSELF IN THE CHANGING ROOM MIRROR AND REGISTER SURPRISE AT WHAT YOU SEE. THE EARLIER CONFUSION IS SWAPPED FOR ADMIRATION AS YOU NOTICE THE RUCHED MATERIAL GATHERING AT THE WAIST. NOW, THE T-SHIRT LOOKS DISHEVELED; IT DOESN'T HANG STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE HEM ANYMORE. INSTEAD, IT'S WORKING WITH YOUR SHAPE. THIS T-SHIRT IS ANYTHING UPWARDS OF $220 — RIDICULOUS, YET, YOU ARE STRANGELY COMPELLED. IF YOU DON'T LEAVE THE STORE WITH IT THIS TIME, IT'S A GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

NEXT, THE BOOTS.

CATCHING THE EYE WITH THEIR BULBOUS TOECAP AND HEAVY CHROME SIDE ZIP, THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IS THE LEVEL OF QUALITY INVOLVED. THE FACT THAT IT'S ALL-LEATHER, INCLUDING THE INTERIOR, MAKES FOR A SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE FIT. AS YOU SLIP IT ON, IT ENVELOPS YOUR FOOT AND FEELS SO RIGHT — NOT LIKE A BRAND NEW SHOE THAT WILL NEED TIME TO WEAR IN, MORE LIKE AN OLD FAVORITE. AND, IT IS HEAVY – WEIGHTIER THAN A SPORTS SHOE OR MILITARY APPAREL HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE. WALKING IN THEM INITIALLY MAKES YOU PIGEON-TOED; IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CONCRETE SOLE. YOU JUST KNOW IT'S GOING TO COST. CORRECT AGAIN – THE HIGHER THE PRICE, THE GREATER THE DESIRE.

THE 'EFFECT' HERE IS THAT YOU SOON BEGIN TO CONSIDER THESE GARMENTS AS THE NORM. THEY STARTED OUT APPEALING TO YOU BECAUSE THEY WERE SO DIFFERENT TO EVERYTHING ELSE. AND, BEFORE LONG, YOU FIND YOURSELF WANTING TO MULTIPLY THOSE FIRST- BUY ITEMS IN TO SEVERAL MORE OF THE SAME. REGULAR T-SHIRT LENGTHS NOW SEEM INADEQUATE; CANVAS BASKETBALL SNEAKS ARE RELEGATED TO YOUR ADOLESCENT PAST. IT IS QUITE COMMON FOR THE KEENEST RICK OWENS CUSTOMERS TO BUY MORE THAN ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE LEATHER JACKET STYLES. THIS SEASON'S CLASSIC 'STOOGERS' BIKER JACKET IS A STRONG CONTENDER WITH ITS BOILED CASHMERE LINING THAT DROPS BELOW THE JACKET HEM. IN A MATTER OF YEARS, IT'S JUST POSSIBLE THAT RICK OWENS WILL DOMINATE YOUR WARDROBE. BUT FOR A HANDFUL OF NOTABLE DESIGNERS – YAMAMOTO, DEMEULEMEESTER, EARLY RAF SIMONS, AND THE OCCASIONAL MARGIELA PIECE – HIS PROPORTIONS ARE ALMOST INCOMPATIBLE WITH MOST OTHER FASHION LABELS SO THAT IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MIX THEM. IT'S AS WELL, THEN, THAT HE CONTINUES TO IMPRESS SUCH LOYAL FOLLOWERS, WHOM HAVE NOW GROWN EXPONENTIALLY IN TO A GLOBAL TRIBE, WITH CONSISTENTLY STRONG COLLECTIONS. MUCH OF THAT IS DOWN TO A REFINED TASTE LEVEL THAT PRODUCES A CONSTANTLY SATISFYING 'JUST SO' IMPRESSION WHEN YOU TRY ON THE CLOTHES. GENEROUS DETAILS INCLUDE DEEP POCKETS AND THE LENGTHY WAIST CORD THAT IS A DESIGN FEATURE IN ITSELF. THE SHAPES MAY BE DRAMATIC, BUT MOST OWENS GARMENTS NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT CLOTHES SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. HIS KNITWEAR AND JERSEY COTTON ARE SO COMFY, THEY COULD EASILY FUNCTION AS SLEEPWEAR.

IN 20 YEARS, THIS STRATEGY HASN'T CHANGED AT ALL. FROM HIS EARLIEST DAYS ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, CALIFORNIA – LONG BEFORE THE AREA BECAME GENTRIFIED WITH ITS CURRENT GAUCHE CONSUMER ORIENTATION – RICK OWENS STARTED OUT WITH ELONGATED SLOUCHY T-SHIRTS AND LEATHER JACKETS IN WHICH THE HIDES APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SCARRED. AND, DESPITE SIGNIFICANTLY GROWING THE CLOTHING RANGE SINCE, THESE REMAIN HIS PERENNIAL BESTSELLERS. BETTER YET, NO OBVIOUS DESIGNER TAGS ARE ON DISPLAY TO IDENTIFY THE GARMENT AS A RICK OWENS PIECE. THERE IS A RELATIVELY SHORT LEARNING CURVE IN RECOGNIZING HIS DESIGNS. AND THAT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T MEANDERED TOO FAR FROM THOSE FIRST YEARS. HIS PATTERN-CUTTING TECHNIQUE, HONED DURING SEVERAL YEARS WORKING IN DESIGNER KNOCK-OFF WORKSHOPS IN LA'S GARMENT DISTRICT, STANDS OUT AMONGST THE RACKS OF OTHER LABELS IN A DESIGNER STORE. AND, IN THAT RESPECT, WHILST THE LABEL IS NOW CONSIDERED IN THE PREMIUM LEAGUE OF HIGH FASHION, OWENS' ORIGINS WERE ALWAYS ANTI-FASHION AND REASSURINGLY NON-CONFORMIST.

IT IS A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF BRAND MARKETING AND COULD ONLY COME FROM SOMEONE WHO POSSESSES A STRONG BELIEF IN WHAT HE DOES.

SO, RICK OWENS, THEN.

IN PERSON, HE IS NATURALLY FRIENDLY AND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. LIKE HIS MENSWEAR, HE IS TALL, LEAN AND JUST A LITTLE BIT LOUCHE, WHILST HIS AQUILINE FEATURES GIVE HIM A SERENE AIR OF NOBILITY. DESPITE LIVING IN PARIS SINCE 2003, HE RETAINS THAT UNMISTAKABLY LANGUID CALIFORNIAN ACCENT AND THE SOFT, DRAWN-OUT VOWELS HAS THE EFFECT OF IMMEDIATELY RELAXING ANYONE IN HIS COMPANY. HOWEVER, IT IS HIS BONE-DRY HUMOR AND SELF-DEPRECATING COMMENTS THAT LEAVE THE MOST LINGERING IMPRESSIONS. HE CAN BE DISARMINGLY MODEST OR WICKEDLY FUNNY. AND THE DELIVERIES ARE OFTEN SO SUBTLE YOU HAVE TO DOUBLE TAKE FOR FACIAL CLUES TO SEE IF HE REALLY DID MEAN WHAT HE JUST SAID.

TO OFFSET THIS, HE ENJOYS TALKING ABOUT MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE, LEADING EDGE ELECTRONICA AND A SELECT ROSTER OF ARTISTS THAT HE ENJOYS COLLECTING. AS THE BUSINESS HAS FLOURISHED, HE HAS BEEN PRESENT IN VARIOUS GLOBAL ART FAIRS. AFTER WHICH, A FLAGSHIP STORE HAS SOMETIMES OPENED, SUCH AS IN MIAMI'S DESIGN DISTRICT LAST DECEMBER, HOME OF THE ANNUAL ART BASEL EVENT. THERE IS ALSO THE FURNITURE LINE HE PRODUCES – MORE OF WHICH, LATER.

AT 51 YEARS, THERE ISN'T THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF SETTLING FOR A PAIR OF CHINOS AND COLORFUL POLO SHIRT LIKE MOST MIDDLE-AGED MEN WOULD DO. OWENS STILL TRIES ON EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THE DESIGN STUDIO AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY CLEAR THESE ARE CLOTHES PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR HIM TO WEAR. THIS, TOO, REQUIRES A SPECIAL KIND OF CONFIDENCE – A RESILIENT BELIEF THAT ANYONE ELSE WOULD WANT TO EMULATE THE LOOK. AS HE HIMSELF EXPLAINS, 'THIS LABEL IS ABOUT ONE PERSON'S VERY PERSONAL EXPRESSION AND PRESENCE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE. I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT I WANT IN A DESIGNER.'

THIS HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED BY HIS LEGIONS OF FOLLOWERS AND, IN TURN, HAS ELEVATED HIS STATUS TO A CULT FIGURE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS FOR THIS, NOT LEAST THE FACT THAT THE RICK OWENS BRAND HAS DEFIANTLY EVADED THE LURE OF ANY LARGE CORPORATE GIANT TO DO HIS BIDDING. EVEN THE MOST CASUAL OBSERVER WOULD SOON APPRECIATE THAT EVERY PRODUCT, EVENT, AND PRESENTATION OUT OF THE RO STABLE IS HANDWRITTEN BY ONE MAN AND HIS TIGHT-KNIT CIRCLE OF CONTRIBUTORS.

TO AMPLIFY THIS LEVEL OF ARTISTIC INDEPENDENCE, THE CLOTHES IMPLY AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENT – SOMETHING HE HAS MENTIONED REPEATEDLY. AND, IF IT HAS RESONATED POWERFULLY AMONGST THE STYLE CONSCIOUS, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY SUGGEST A LIFE LIVED AT THE MARGINS, UPSCALED WITH PREMIUM MATERIALS. MAINTAINING BUT NEVER QUITE RESOLVING THAT TENSION BETWEEN PENTHOUSE AND PAVEMENT.

HERE IS WHERE THE STORY GETS INTERESTING.

THE RO AESTHETIC HARDWIRES DIRECTLY INTO A ROMANTIC NOTION OF YOUR OWN ADOLESCENCE. THE COMPLETE ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY – TOO YOUNG TO DIE, ETC. EXPERIMENTING WITH EVERYTHING... DRUGS, SEX, ILLICIT INDULGENCES. ALLOWING THE RAW ENERGY OF NEW MUSIC TO SHAPE YOUR PERSONALITY. IT ISN'T ABOUT BEING SMARTLY DRESSED AND IMPECCABLY MANNERED TO SATISFY YOUR PARENTS, IT'S ABOUT COMING FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS AND TAKING PRIDE IN THAT. THE UBIQUITOUS BAD BOY: DIRTY JEANS, RIPPED HOLES IN YOUR T-SHIRT, AND A BADLY SCUFFED LEATHER JACKET. THIS AMBIENCE IS THE DNA OF ALL RICK OWENS CLOTHING. AND HE HAS OPENLY DISCUSSED HIS EARLY ADULTHOOD, THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SEX CLUBS. THIS ISN'T 'DESIGNER' SPORTSWEAR BECAUSE THE HEAD OF MARKETING, OR THE TREND-FORECASTERS HAVE DECREED IT AS IMPORTANT, IT'S COMING FROM A GENUINE LIVED-IN EXPERIENCE. AND THIS INTEGRITY IS INHERENT, NOT ASSUMED.

YET IN PREVIOUS INTERVIEWS, OWENS HAS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS A 'SISSY BOY,' THE ONLY-CHILD OUTSIDER WHO WAS DENIED ACCESS TO TELEVISION UNTIL HE REACHED 16. INSTEAD, HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THE FAMILY LIBRARY, ABSORBING HIGHBROW PHILOSOPHY, EUROPEAN LITERATURE AND DEVELOPING A TASTE FOR EPIC OPERA.

THE CHANGE CAME AFTER THAT. A PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION THAT HE DESCRIBES AS 'EVERYTHING I DO IS A VERY CLICHÉD REACTION TO A VERY CONTROLLED CHILDHOOD. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO, I LOST CONTROL AS SPECTACULARLY AND THEATRICALLY AS I COULD.'

IN TERMS OF THE CLOTHES HE DESIGNS, IN PARTICULAR, THE EMPHASIS ON EXCESS PROPORTION AND LAYERING, HE ELABORATES. 'I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT EXTENDING BEYOND YOUR LIMITS THAT I WAS ALWAYS ATTRACTED TO – BEING BIGGER, LONGER, DRAGGING THINGS BEHIND YOU, FILLING MORE SPACE, FALLING APART, RECKLESS GESTURES... WITH A TOUCH OF OPULENCE.'
OWENS WON'T BE DRAWN IN TO ANY COMMENT ON THE WAKE OF MENSWEAR DESIGNERS THAT HAVE EMERGED SINCE HE FIRST ENTERED THE MARKETPLACE. INDEED, AN ENTIRE STRAND OF MENSWEAR HAS GROWN; NAMES SUCH AS BORIS BIDJAN SABERI, DAMIR DOMA, YOHAN SERFATY, THOM KROM AND MA+ ALL ESCHEW THE CONVENTIONAL IDEA OF TAILORED CLOTHING. THEY SHARE A RELIANCE ON CASUAL SPORTSWEAR AND SHOES THAT INCORPORATE LUXE FABRICS AND A DISTRESSED LOOK.
EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT IS THE RESPONSE HIS DESIGNS HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE SPORTS APPAREL INDUSTRY. ALONGSIDE THE OBVIOUS MILITARY WEAR INFLUENCE, OWENS' DESIGN SIGNATURE IS LARGELY DUE TO HIS UNIQUE INTERPRETATION OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SPORTSWEAR. THESE ARE THE TOTEM POLES OF EVERY RICK OWENS COLLECTION. THAT HE CAN PRESENT A BASIC SINGLET WITH ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EVENING TUXEDO IS ONE THING. BUT IT IS THE ONGOING RELATIONSHIP HE CARRIES WITH THE BUYING PUBLIC, OFFERING THEM ELONGATED VERSIONS OF BASKETBALL SHORTS, TOPS AND BOOTS IN LEATHER RATHER THAN PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING MATERIALS THAT HAS GENERATED THE REPEAT CUSTOM. THE TAKE-UP HAS BEEN UNANIMOUS, AND FURTHER CONSOLIDATED BY SEVERAL KEY HIP-HOP MOGULS, DJS AND FILM CELEBRITIES ACTIVELY ENDORSING HIS CLOTHES IN THE PUBLIC EYE. MORE RECENTLY, THE SPORTS COMPANIES HAVE BEEN PAYING EQUALLY CLOSE ATTENTION. NOTICE HOW THEIR DIMENSIONS, IN PARTICULAR THE SHOES, HAVE GROWN IN RECENT YEARS. WIDER, TALLER, THICKER – APPROACHING SIMILAR PROPORTIONS TO THE CLASSIC RO GEOBASKET BOOT.

MERE COINCIDENCE? NOT WHEN HIGH VISIBILITY STARS SUCH AS A$AP ROCKY ARE REGULARLY NOTED IN OWENS' CLOTHES. MENTION THIS TO HIM AND HIS MODEST RESPONSE IS, 'I DON'T THINK I REALLY INVENTED ANYTHING. I WAS JUST ABLE TO EXPRESS WHAT WE WERE ALL MAYBE IN THE MOOD FOR.' INSTEAD, HE EXPRESSES SLIGHT REGRET AT HAVING REMAINED OUTSIDE OF THE FASHION COMMUNITY, AND ONLY BECAUSE HE MAY HAVE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHERS: 'OUR HORSTS, OUR AVEDONS OR OUR PENNS.'

AFTER TWO DECADES OF BUSINESS AND EIGHT YEARS SINCE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING A MENSWEAR LINE, WHERE DOES RICK OWENS STAND IN THE MARKET TODAY? ONE OF THE MOST QUALIFIED INDUSTRY FIGUREHEADS TO COMMENT ON THIS WOULD BE LN-CC.COM'S FOUNDER, JOHN SKELTON. AN ENTHUSIASTIC CHAMPION FROM THE OUTSET, HE INTRODUCED THE LINE TO SELFRIDGES, HARRODS AND OKI-NI.COM BEFORE SETTING UP HIS OWN STORE IN LONDON FIVE YEARS AGO.

'RICK OWENS HAS REALLY SHOWN WHAT A PROGRESSIVE DESIGNER HE IS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. AT A TIME WHEN THE BLACKED-OUT VIBE LITERALLY DIED AT THE PREMIUM END, HE HAS UPDATED NOT ONLY HIS USE OF COLOR AND FABRICATIONS, BUT ALSO HIS SILHOUETTES, WHILST MANY OTHER BRANDS ARE COPYING HIS ORIGINAL ONES. SHORTER SHORTS, MORE TAILORING, AND SLEEKER FOOTWEAR TWINNED WITH MORE SOLID CUTS OF TEES AND KNITWEAR, KEEPING THE BRAND RELEVANT AT A TIME WHERE SIMPLICITY AND PURISM LEADS THE WAY IN FORWARD-THINKING DESIGN. THE LABEL REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER, REGARDLESS OF THE GROWTH ACHIEVED. AND THE LOOK, WHILST KEEPING ITS ANGST AND STRENGTH, IS A LOT MORE REFINED IN TERMS OF SHAPES AND CUT.'

WHEN THE GERMAN SPORTSWEAR GIANT, ADIDAS ANNOUNCED THEY WERE PRODUCING A CAPSULE LINE OF SPORTS SHOES WITH OWENS IN 2013, THE DESIGNER QUIPPED THAT HE'D WANTED TO TAKE UP RUNNING SO DISCUSSIONS BEGAN. 'I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'WHAT SHOES AM I GOING TO WEAR?' I CAN'T WEAR MY BIG CHUNKY BASKETBALL SHOES... I'D LOOK LIKE A DINOSAUR RUNNING THROUGH THE TUILERIES.'

PUBLIC RECEPTION WAS MIXED. RICK AFICIONADOS GUSHED OVER THE ONLINE BLOGS, WHILST TRADITIONAL SNEAKER HEADS RAMPED UP THEIR SNARK. THE DESIGNS WERE MARKEDLY DIFFERENT AND JUST AS UNCOMPROMISING. HAD HE WANTED TO SIMPLY GENERATE SOME EXTRA INCOME, HE COULD HAVE OFFERED ADIDAS LICENSE TO REPLICATE HIS EXISTING DESIGNS IN A VARIETY OF COLORS. AND LET THEM TAKE CARE OF MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION. BUT, GIVEN THEIR HISTORY OF DESIGNER COLLABORATIONS AND OWENS' CONSTANT STRIVING FOR NEW INTERPRETATIONS, THAT WAS UNLIKELY. A PREVIOUS COLLABORATION WITH EASTPAK WAS A ONE-OFF; IT WAS DIFFERENT WITH ADIDAS AND NEXT SPRING'S SPRINGBLADE DESIGN IS HIS MOST FUTURISTIC YET. HE DESCRIBES THE RELATIONSHIP:

'THE ADIDAS THING WAS REALLY ABOUT DEVELOPING AN ALTERNATE SILHOUETTE TO MY SHOE SHAPE, WHICH I STILL LOVE BUT NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD. A RUNNING SHOE SHAPE WAS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I DO, SO IT SEEMED RIPE FOR CORRUPTION. IT WASN'T ANY BIG PR STRATEGY, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO TRY AND REINVENT THE WHEEL. THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE PERFORMANCE SPORTS SHOES BETTER THAN I DO AND THEY GAVE ME EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED. BELIEVE ME, I'M THE FIRST TO DISMISS COLLABS AS HYPE, BUT THIS WAS HONESTLY ABOUT FINDING A DESIGN SOLUTION. I DO HESITATE TO DEVELOP IT FURTHER BECAUSE IT BECAME A BIT MORE VISIBLE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD AND I WOULD HATE TO COME OFF LIKE I WAS MILKING IT... BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT THE ADIDAS GUYS ARE REALLY NICE, EASY, TALENTED PEOPLE.'

EARLIER IN 2003 ANOTHER IMPORTANT TRANSFORMATION HAD TAKEN PLACE. THE YEAR BEFORE, U.S. VOGUE HAD APPROACHED THE DESIGNER AND OFFERED TO SPONSOR A CATWALK SHOW DURING NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. IT WAS MORE PROFESSIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAN HE HAD EXPECTED, BUT HE RESISTED THE URGE TO DECLINE THE ESTABLISHMENT CALLING AND WENT WITH IT. THIS PRECEDED A MOVE TO PARIS AND A FURTHER CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THE LIFESTYLE EXCESSES OF WEST HOLLYWOOD WERE EXCHANGED FOR A MORE RIGOROUS STRUCTURE. STUDIO IN THE MORNING, REGULAR TRIPS TO THE GYM AT MIDDAY, AND THEN BACK TO WORK UNTIL THE EVENING. AS IF A SWITCH WAS FLIPPED OVERNIGHT, THE RICK OWENS BRAND TOOK ON ITS OWN DESTINY TO BECOME A SERIOUS CONTENDER IN THE FASHION WORLD.

AGAIN, IN CONVERSATION, OWENS DESCRIBES THIS PERIOD AS AN EMBRACING OF THE RITUALISTIC. THAT HE IS ATTRACTED TO THE BETTERING OF THE SELF, THE ASPIRATION IN WANTING TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE IS HEROIC AND PERFECTLY ATTAINABLE, HE BELIEVES. YOU SEE THIS IN HIS CATWALK SHOWS – LEGIONS OF MALE WARRIORS STRIDING TOWARDS YOU, CLAD IN MODERN DAY UNIFORMS OF THE NOBLE.