EVENING STANDARD — RICK OWENS ON LOCKDOWN, NEW DESIGNS AND KANYE WEST — 17 SEPTEMBER 2020 — BY LAURA CRAIK

SEPTEMBER 17 2020

RICK OWENS WINS ZOOM.

HOWEVER PAINSTAKINGLY CURATED YOUR BOOKSHELF, HOWEVER FLATTERING YOUR LIGHT, THEY ARE LAME WHEN COMPARED WITH THE 58-YEAR-OLD DESIGNER'S BACKDROP. UNTIL YOU'RE SITTING ON A MONUMENTAL SELF-DESIGNED DAYBED IN PARIS — OR IN FRONT OF A VENETIAN SUNSET WITH AN ULTRA-RARE GEORGE MINNE SCULPTURE KNEELING NONCHALANTLY IN THE FRAME — DON'T EVEN TRY TO FLEX. 'I THOUGHT, 'LET'S GET A BIT FANCY,'' HE SAYS IN HIS LACONIC CALIFORNIAN DRAWL, BARELY CHANGED AFTER 17 YEARS IN PARIS.

OWENS HAS ALWAYS EXUDED THE SORT OF CEREBRAL CHIC FOR WHICH THE WORD 'CHIC' IS SIMPLY TOO MAINSTREAM. HE IS THE FASHION DESIGNERS' FASHION DESIGNER, BEST KNOWN FOR THE SHRUNKEN LEATHER BIKER JACKETS WITH WHICH HE MADE HIS NAME IN 2002, BELOVED BY EVERYONE FROM KATE MOSS TO J-LO, JAY-Z TO T-SWIFT. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO HIM THAN THESE. HIS FASHION SHOWS ARE SPECTACULAR, ALWAYS UNDERSCORED WITH SOCIAL COMMENTARY (HIS SPRING 2016 SHOW MEMORABLY FEATURED MODELS BOUND TOGETHER, ONE CARRYING THE OTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY — A COMMENT ON 'WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN', OWENS SAID AT THE TIME). AN OBSESSIVE WORK SCHEDULE AND FOCUS HAVE SEEN HIM AMASS 10 NAMESAKE STORES, A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE BUSINESS, SEVERAL DIFFUSION LINES, A FURNITURE BRAND AND A NEW COLLABORATION WITH MONCLER. NOT BAD FOR A DESIGNER WHO ONLY HELD HIS FIRST FASHION SHOW AGED 40.

THAT OWENS HAS REMAINED INDEPENDENT GOES SOME WAY TO EXPLAINING HIS PRODIGIOUS AND ECLECTIC OUTPUT. 'WE NEVER REALLY BIT OFF MORE THAN WE COULD CHEW,' HE SHRUGS OF HIS ONGOING INDEPENDENT STATUS, A RATIONALE THAT HE SAYS WILL ALSO HELP HIS BUSINESS SURVIVE THE IMPACT OF COVID-19. 'I MEAN, THE WORLD HAS STOPPED AND I'M SURPRISED THAT WE'RE STILL IN BUSINESS. IT'S GREAT. WE'RE PRETTY SMALL. WE DON'T HAVE A HIGH TURNOVER OF PEOPLE. IT'S A VERY TIGHT TEAM SO WE CAN PIVOT AND MANOEUVRE A LOT MORE EASILY THAN BIGGER COMPANIES.'

SEQUESTERED IN HIS MINIMALIST PARIS HOME WITH HIS WIFE OF 14 YEARS AND COLLABORATOR, THE LEGENDARY MICHÈLE LAMY, OWENS DESCRIBES LOCKDOWN AS ONE OF THE BEST TIMES OF HIS LIFE. 'WHICH DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT,' HE ADDS. 'I KNOW I HAD A VERY PRIVILEGED CORNER. WE HAD A GREAT SPACE TO ISOLATE IN, AND I'M ALREADY KIND OF RECLUSIVE, SO IT WASN'T STRESSFUL FOR ME BEING OUT OF CONTACT WITH PEOPLE.' DID HE LEARN ANY NEW SKILLS? 'NO, NOT AT ALL,' HE SMILES. 'BUT I DID EAT REALLY WELL AND DO A LOT OF GYM. AND I TOOK SOME REALLY GREAT NAPS.'

HE ALSO STUDIED HISTORICAL AESTHETICS, WITH THE PURPOSE OF MAKING A MORE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE FASHION WORLD POST-COVID. HE IS UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT FASHION'S ROLE IN A CRISIS. 'FASHION IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION. EVERYTHING YOU WEAR, EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE ABOUT HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF, IS A MESSAGE. IT'S A VERY PRIMITIVE, PRIMAL THING. PEOPLE HAVE ADORNED THEMSELVES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE AND IT'S NOT MEDICINE, BUT IT [FASHION] IS A BIG PART OF LIVING. I DON'T APOLOGISE FOR BEING A DESIGNER AT ALL.'

FORMERLY RESISTANT TO COLLABORATIONS ('IT JUST WASN'T MY WORLD'), HE HAS FULLY EMBRACED HIS NEW ONE WITH MONCLER, WHICH IS AS ECCENTRIC AS THE MOST DISCERNING RICK OWENS FANS COULD HAVE HOPED. IN ADDITION TO A CAPSULE COLLECTION OF DOWN JACKETS, HE ALSO CUSTOMISED AN ITALIAN TOUR BUS, WITH THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING HIM TO RETURN TO HIS NATIVE CALIFORNIA. 'MY MOM IS 87 AND ACTIVE. SHE TRAVELS TO SEE ME IN PARIS, BUT THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN THE STATES WILL BECOME MORE A PART OF MY WORLD. I HADN'T BEEN BACK TO LA FOR 18 YEARS, BUT WENT BACK BECAUSE OF THIS PROJECT. THE TOUR BUS ALLOWS ME TO TRAVEL IN MY OWN AESTHETIC BUBBLE TO THE SMALL TOWN THAT MY MOM LIVES IN.' THE BUS IS UPHOLSTERED IN DUVET, 'BECAUSE MONCLER IS ABOUT INSULATION AND PROTECTION'.

IN ADDITION TO HIS WIFE, OWENS' PANTHEON OF MUSES INCLUDES THE MODEL AND DESIGN COLLABORATOR TYRONE DYLAN SUSMAN ('HE'S BROUGHT A GIDDINESS AND SENSE OF PLAY'), THE ACTRESS HELENA BONHAM CARTER ('FOR SOMEONE SO EXQUISITE TO BE SO FUNNY IS RARE') AND THE RAPPER KANYE WEST. 'THE CHOICES THAT HE MAKES ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE,' HE SAYS OF THE LATTER. 'HE'S A CURATOR, AND THAT TAKES A TALENT. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CREATIVE DIRECTORS AS DESIGNERS, PUTTING THEM DOWN, BUT IT'S JUST PAINTING WITH A DIFFERENT BRUSH. I DON'T PUT THEM DOWN, BECAUSE BEING A CREATIVE DIRECTOR ON THAT KIND OF SCALE IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.'

HE IS LESS EFFUSIVE ABOUT WEST'S BID FOR PRESIDENT. 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. KANYE CAN THINK IN ABSTRACTIONS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS REALLY SERIOUS. IT COULD BE JUST A THEORETICAL EXERCISE ON HIS PART. AND I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE A BAD THING, HIM GOING FOR PRESIDENT. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD VOTE FOR HIM. BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT HE WOULD BE SPLITTING VOTES, FOR PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC POTENTIAL TO BE PRESIDENT AND GET RID OF TRUMP.'

AN ONLY CHILD, OWENS WAS BORN IN PORTERVILLE, AN AGRICULTURAL TOWN NOT FAR FROM LOS ANGELES: HIS FATHER, A RETIRED SOCIAL WORKER, DIED IN 2015. WHILE HE LIVES BETWEEN PARIS AND VENICE, HE ALSO LOVES LONDON, EVEN IF HE HASN'T VISITED FOR A WHILE. 'WE ALWAYS STAY AT CLARIDGE'S. IT'S VERY HOMEY THERE. WE DO DOVER STREET MARKET FOR LUNCH, AND ALWAYS HAVE DINNER IN A CORNER BOOTH AT CLARIDGE'S. WE'RE VERY HOMESPUN.'

HOMESPUN IS NOT THE FIRST WORD THAT SPRINGS TO MIND, VIEWING OWENS IN FRONT OF HIS PANORAMIC WHITEWASHED TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE VENETIAN LIDO, SWATHED IN A DRAPEY BLACK TOP. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS TRADEMARK VEST? 'MY TANK TOP? WELL, I CHANGED. NOW MY CHEST IS SO GOOD THAT I'VE BEEN DOING THIS,' HE SAYS, THEATRICALLY SLIPPING HIS TOP TO THE SIDE TO REVEAL A PERFECTLY HONED PEC. 'I'M NOT GONNA LOOK LIKE THIS FOREVER. I'M GONNA MILK THIS MOMENT.'

I ASK HIM HOW THE REST OF US CAN ACHIEVE A TONED, RICK OWENS ARM. 'OH, YOU WORK OUT EVERY DAY. IT'S LIKE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH. IT'S JUST ABOUT CONSISTENCY.'

DOES HE HAVE A SPECIFIC BEAUTY ROUTINE? 'I GET MY HAIR STRAIGHTENED. I DYE MY EYEBROWS WHEN I DYE MY HAIR. OTHER THAN THAT, CHAPSTICK, A LOT OF MOISTURISER AND THAT'S IT. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PRODUCTS IN MY BATHROOM.'

DESPITE THIS BEING A ZOOM INTERVIEW, I'D STILL LIKE TO TRY TO ENGAGE MY SENSES FROM BEHIND THE HARSH FLAT PRISMS OF OUR COMPUTER SCREENS, SO I ASK WHAT HE SMELLS LIKE. 'LIKE AĒSOP PRODUCTS. I HAVE MY HAIR CHEMICALLY STRAIGHTENED, WHICH WRECKS IT. IT'S GETTING PRETTY THIN AND I'M DEVELOPING A BALD SPOT AND I'M THINKING, SHOULD I LET IT GO WHITE? BUT I'M JUST NOT READY.'

NOR IS HE READY TO GIVE UP ON CATWALK SHOWS, BELIEVING THE FASHION INDUSTRY WOULD BE A POORER PLACE WITHOUT THEM. 'I THINK THEY'RE JUST GOING TO EVOLVE. RUNWAY SHOWS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER HAVE EXISTED FOREVER. CHURCH IS A RUNWAY SHOW. MEDIEVAL PAGEANTS WERE RUNWAY SHOWS. ROCK CONCERTS ARE RUNWAY SHOWS. THEY'RE ABOUT PEOPLE RUBBING SHOULDERS. THEY'LL ALWAYS HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HUMANS NEED. HUMANS NEED TO CONNECT AND SHARE A TRANSCENDENT MOMENT TOGETHER.'