T MAGAZINE — RICK OWENS ON HIS PARIS SHOW, ADMIRING WOMEN & MORE — OCTOBER 7 2015 — BY ISABEL WILKINSON

OCTOBER 7 2015

LAST WEEK, RICK OWENS STAGED A PROVOCATIVE SPRING SHOW IN PARIS: HE RECRUITED LOCAL GYMNASTS TO WALK STRAPPED TOGETHER IN VARIOUS GRAVITY-DEFYING FORMATIONS — A TRIBUTE, AS HE PUT IT, TO 'WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN.'

NOW, HE OPENS HIS FIRST LOS ANGELES STORE — THE NINTH IN HIS RETAIL EMPIRE — A FORMER RIBBON FACTORY ON LA BREA AVENUE THAT HAS BEEN RETROFITTED AND TRANSFORMED WITH HIS SIGNATURE, MAUSOLEUMLIKE GLEAM: STARK WHITE WALLS, ANGULAR PLINTHS AND A GLASS WALL EMITTING FOG.

OWENS SPOKE TO T ABOUT ADMIRING WOMEN AND BEING CRITICAL TOWARD MEN, THE LEIGH BOWERY IMAGE THAT INSPIRED THE SHOW, AND HOW HE VIEWS MATTERS OF WELLNESS. HE ANSWERED OUR QUESTIONS BY E-MAIL.

WHY WAS NOW THE RIGHT TIME TO OPEN A STORE IN LOS ANGELES?

THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON — WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT SPACES IN L.A. FOR YEARS. THIS ONE JUST FELT RIGHT.

IN YOUR NOTES FOR YOUR MOST RECENT PARIS SHOW, YOU DESCRIBED A TRIBUTE TO 'SISTERHOOD/MOTHERHOOD AND REGENERATION; WOMEN RAISING WOMEN, WOMEN BECOMING WOMEN AND WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN — A WORLD OF WOMEN I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT AND CAN ONLY ATTEMPT TO AMUSE IN MY OWN SUPPORTING SMALL WAY.' WHY IS WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN IMPORTANT — AND PERSONAL — TO YOU?

I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT MY COLLECTIONS ARE PRETTY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL: I'M ADMIRATIVE AND LOVING WITH WOMEN, AND I'M AFRAID I'M HARSHLY CRITICAL OF MEN BECAUSE OF ALL THE SHORTCOMINGS I SEE IN MYSELF. MY WOMEN'S SHOWS USUALLY TRY TO ADDRESS NOBILITY AND GRACE, AND MEN'S SHOWS CAN SOMETIMES ADDRESS SELFISHNESS AND AGGRESSION A BIT TOO GLEEFULLY. I'LL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT.

BUT I CONSIDER RUNWAY SHOWS MODERN RITUALS WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO COLLECTIVELY CELEBRATE BEAUTY. IT'S JUST A HUMAN INSTINCT THAT HAS FOUND DIFFERENT ARENAS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE CLOTHES I SELL ARE RELICS OF THIS CEREMONY. FASHION SHOWS CAN CELEBRATE PHYSICAL BEAUTY, BUT THEY ARE ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE BEAUTIFUL ASPIRATIONS AND BEHAVIOR.

I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BE MORALISTIC — BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT AS MUCH GOOD ENERGY OUT THERE AS I CAN, WHILE I CAN, AND INDULGE IN ALL THE BEAUTY I CAN SCRAPE TOGETHER FROM EVERY CORNER OF OUR SHARED EXPERIENCE.

WHERE DID YOU FIND THE GYMNASTS, AND HOW DID YOU CONCEIVE OF STAGING THE SHOW THAT WAY?

PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, AND I'VE MENTIONED HAVING ADMIRED A LEIGH BOWERY IMAGE SHOT BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ OF A BIRTHING PERFORMANCE WHERE HE CARRIED HIS WIFE SUSPENDED FROM STRAPS. IT WAS TENDER AND WEIRD, WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMBOS. I THOUGHT DOING IT WITH WOMEN MIGHT BE A NICE INTERPRETATION AND DEVELOPED OTHER POSES FROM THERE.

I TOTALLY RIPPED HIM OFF AND AM SURPRISED THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE I WAS SECRETIVE ABOUT IT. NOT AT ALL — I THOUGHT IT WAS TOTALLY OBVIOUS.

WE SCOUTED PROFESSIONAL GYMNASTS IN PARIS AND CAREFULLY FITTED THEM WITH GARMENTS THAT HAD HARNESSES INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN. THESE JACKETS ARE GOING TO BE SOLD WITH THE HARNESS BUCKLES INTACT AS SYMBOLIC REMNANTS OF THAT SHOW.

I WAS HESITANT ABOUT SHOWING WOMEN UNDER STRAIN, BUT WE SHOW WOMEN AS SUGARED DOLLS ENOUGH. WOMEN CAN ALSO BE ATHLETES THAT GO TO ANOTHER PHYSICAL LEVEL TO ACHIEVE AN AESTHETIC IDEAL. AND THESE WOMEN DID THAT WITH A POWERFUL SERENITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL HOPE FOR IN OURSELVES.

WHAT DOES BEING 'WELL' MEAN TO YOU? AND WHAT DO YOU DO — DIET/EXERCISE/VITAMINS, SLEEP ETC. — TO ACHIEVE IT?