THE WALL STREET JOURNAL — GOTH DESIGNER RICK OWENS DOESN’T FOLLOW TRENDS — 28 MAY 2019 — RAY A. SMITH

28 MAY 2019

RICK OWENS HAS CARVED OUT AN ALTERNATIVE LANE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY.

IN 17 YEARS OF MAKING BOUNDARY-PUSHING MEN’S CLOTHING, HE HAS SENT MALE MODELS DOWN THE RUNWAY IN SKIRTS, PLATFORM BOOTS AND PEEKABOO-SLASHED TOPS AND BOTTOMS. MR. OWENS HAS MANAGED TO MAKE SUCH TRANSGRESSIVE ITEMS LOOK TOUGH, BALANCING THEM WITH LEATHER JACKETS, DROP-CROTCH AND WIDE-LEGGED TROUSERS, LONG BAGGY SHORTS, FLOOR-SWEEPING COATS, THIGH-SKIMMING T-SHIRTS, AND HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS—MOSTLY IN BLACK, GREY AND OTHER NEUTRAL SHADES.

HIS BUSINESS, WHICH HAS ANNUAL SALES AROUND $140 MILLION, INCLUDES HIGH-END AND MORE-AFFORDABLE WOMENSWEAR LINES, A DENIM-BASED LINE AND A LINE OF FURS. HE CALLS THE GOTH, GLAMOUR-MEETS-GRUNGE AESTHETIC ‘GLUNGE.’ HIS MALE AUDIENCE INCLUDES ROCK FANS, RAP FOLLOWERS, GAY NIGHTLIFE DENIZENS, HIGH-FASHION OBSESSIVES AND TWITTER CEO JACK DORSEY.

BASED IN PARIS, MR. OWENS GREW UP IN PORTERVILLE, CALIF., AND STARTED HIS LABEL IN LOS ANGELES WITH A WOMEN’S LINE IN 1994. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA NOMINATED HIM FOR MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR. AT THE CFDA AWARDS CEREMONY JUNE 3 IN BROOKLYN, N.Y., THE 56-YEAR-OLD DESIGNER WILL FACE OFF AGAINST TWO, YOUNGER STREETWEAR-INFLUENCED RIVALS, MIKE AMIRI OF AMIRI, AND VIRGIL ABLOH OF OFF-WHITE, AS WELL AS KERBY JEAN-RAYMOND OF THE HIGH-CONCEPT LABEL PYER MOSS AND THOM BROWNE, WHO HAS BEEN NOMINATED EVERY YEAR SINCE 2013 AND WON IN 2013 AND 2016.

MR. OWENS’S FASHIONS FLOUT CONVENTIONAL BEAUTY STANDARDS, CHALLENGE GENDER NORMS AND EMBRACE SUBCULTURES. HIS AUDACIOUS PRESENTATIONS, TYPICALLY HELD ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ART-FILLED PALAIS DE TOKYO IN PARIS, HAVE INSPIRED YOUNGER DESIGNERS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE CATWALK. MODELS IN ONE SHOW CIRCLED A TOWERING STRUCTURE ENGULFED IN FLAMES; IN ANOTHER, THEY CARRIED EACH OTHER. AT ONE SHOW, BLACK-COLLEGE SORORITY STEP-DANCERS APPEARED IN LIEU OF MODELS.

HIS MOST RECENT MEN’S AND WOMEN’S COLLECTIONS WERE INFLUENCED BY ‘70S DESIGNER LARRY LEGASPI, WHO MADE OTHERWORLDLY COSTUMES FOR KISS, LABELLE AND OTHER GROUPS. MR. OWENS WROTE A BOOK ABOUT THE LATE DESIGNER, WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER. IT IS HIS FOURTH BOOK; HE ALSO DESIGNS FURNITURE.

MR. OWENS—IN A GO-TO ENSEMBLE OF WHITE TANK TOP, BLACK SHORTS AND BLACK RUNNING SNEAKERS WITH ‘BLACK SOCKS UP TO MY KNEES’—SPOKE WITH THE JOURNAL ABOUT THE FASHION INDUSTRY AND INFLUENCERS. EDITED EXCERPTS FOLLOW.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STREETWEAR AND ITS DOMINANCE OF MEN’S FASHION IN RECENT YEARS?

IT’S NOT STUFF I’M GOING TO WEAR. AND I DO LOOK AT IT SOMETIMES WITH A LITTLE BIT OF AN EYE ROLL. BUT SOME OF IT IS REALLY GREAT. SOME OF IT IS SMART AND WITTY. I THINK THERE IS A WIT TO FASHION NOW THAT IS FRESH.

IS THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN CRISIS?

‘CRISIS’ IS QUITE DRAMATIC. THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF DRAMA QUEENS. I DON’T KNOW IF I WOULD CALL IT A CRISIS. IT’S JUST EVOLUTION. I SEE IT AS A TRANSITION.

HOW CAN INDEPENDENT BRANDS LIKE YOURS SURVIVE?

I THINK THERE’S ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT CAN RESPOND TO WHAT WE DO AND MAYBE EVEN HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESPECT THAT WE CAN’T BEND OVER TO SATISFY EVERY SINGLE REQUEST. I DON’T KNOW. I’M STILL FIGURING THIS OUT MYSELF. MAYBE I’M A DINOSAUR THAT CAN BE EXTINCT NEXT YEAR.

YOUR BRAND IS ON INSTAGRAM BUT YOU DON’T USE INFLUENCERS OR POST PICTURES OF CELEBRITIES WEARING YOUR DESIGNS. WHY NOT?

THIS AESTHETIC OF USING INFLUENCERS IS A VERY VALID, INTERESTING EXERCISE. IT’S ONE THAT I AM NOT ADEPT AT. I’M CONSCIOUS OF IT. I RESPECT IT AND I ADMIRE IT. IT’S KIND OF HORRIBLE AND IT’S KIND OF GREAT. EVERY CONSUMER IS NOW AWARE OF THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES MECHANISM AND MEANS TO ENTICE THEM. EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT AN INFLUENCER IS. THERE’S SOMETHING INSINCERE ABOUT THAT WORD. THERE’S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INSINCERITY THAT EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES. I LIKE THE BEAUTY AND HORROR OF IT.

YOU HAVE FANS IN THEIR 40S AND 50S, AS WELL AS YOUNG STREETWEAR ENTHUSIASTS, SKATEBOARDERS AND SNEAKERHEADS. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO?

MAYBE I AUTHENTICALLY AM INTERESTED IN THAT WORLD. THEIR INTEREST IN ME MIGHT BE THEY SENSE AN AUTHENTIC INTEREST IN THEM AND THAT I’M NOT USING THEM. I’M NOT KIND OF SUCKING UP TO THEM. AND I AM A CREATOR IN THE WAY THEY WANT TO BE CREATORS. THEY WANT TO BE AUTHENTIC AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

YOU’VE BEEN A PIONEER ON INCLUSION AND BROADER BEAUTY STANDARDS. IS THE INDUSTRY GETTING BETTER ON THIS?

IT WAS ALWAYS VERY IMPORTANT IN MY WORK TO SUGGEST THAT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER OPTIONS. I’M SUGGESTING THAT THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS AND NOT ALL OF US HAVE ACCESS TO CLASSICAL BEAUTY. BECAUSE THE RULES OF CLASSICAL BEAUTY CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CRUEL AND A LITTLE BIT NARROW. LET’S BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT HOW WE CONSIDER OTHER PEOPLE’S APPEARANCES. THAT STARTS LEADING INTO RACE AND ACCEPTANCE. I THINK IT’S A GREAT MESSAGE. WE CAN AFFORD TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE. THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS LISTENING TO IT. THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS ONLY EVER RESPONDED TO WHAT PEOPLE WANTED. I’M HAPPY THAT THINGS SEEM TO BE EVOLVING.

ARE FASHION SHOWS STILL EFFECTIVE?

THERE ARE TOO MANY FASHION SHOWS TODAY, FOR SURE. BUT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GATHERING TOGETHER TO WORSHIP FASHION SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND THAT’S NOT GOING TO STOP. THEY’RE GOING TO FIND ALL SORTS OF WAYS TO DO IT.