VOGUE UK — RICK OWENS’S ‘HARDCORE’ DR MARTENS COLLAB SHEDS LIGHT ON HIS FORMATIVE PUNK DAYS — 15 MARCH 2021 — BY ALICE NEWBOLD

MARCH 15 2021

WHEN RICK OWENS CALLS, SHORTLY AFTER HIS BRAND’S AUTUMN/WINTER 2021 SHOW STAGED ON THE BANKS OF VENICE LIDO, HE IS FEELING PLEASED ABOUT THE QUOTE HE HAS QUICKLY WHIPPED UP REGARDING HIS NEW DR MARTENS COLLABORATION. IT IS INDEED POETIC AND DESCRIBES HIS FORMATIVE YEARS AS A SMALL-TOWN, WIDE-EYED YOUNGSTER MOVING FROM PORTERVILLE TO LA TO EXPERIENCE LIFE – FULL THROTTLE. ‘WHEN I WAS A TEEN AND BECOMING PHYSICALLY AWARE, I SAW HOW A TIGHTLY-LACED ANKLE LEADING TO A BROAD, SOLIDLY PLANTED FOOT HAD A SIMPLE, MODEST, INDUSTRIAL MASCULINITY’, HE MUSES, ADDING, ‘ALMOST LIKE A CORSET BETWEEN A MUSCLED CALF AND A STURDY FOOT THAT ACTED AS A STOIC BALLAST. DMS EXEMPLIFIED THIS BEST.’ AND SO, WHEN DR MARTENS CAME CALLING DECADES DOWN THE LINE, RICK OWED IT TO HIS PUNK ROCKER YOUTH TO SAY YES.

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THE TWO-PART COLLAB KICKS OFF IN MARCH WITH OWENS'S 'CHUNKY HARDCORE' TAKE ON THE DM 1460 BEX PLATFORM SOLE BOOT WITH MEGA LACES INSPIRED BY SKATE CULTURE AND DESIGNED TO REPRESENT ORDER IN CHAOS. 'MY ETERNAL STRUGGLE IS TRYING TO FIND BALANCE BETWEEN CONTROL AND COLLAPSE', HE SAYS, SHEDDING LIGHT ON HIS JOURNEY AS A CREATIVE – ONE WHO TEAMS HIS OTHER-WORDLY DESIGNS WITH MONSTER PLATFORMS. 'I HAVE EXPLORED BOTH IN EXTREMES: COMPLETE COLLAPSE WHERE I INDULGED WITHOUT SELF-RESTRAINT OR DISCIPLINE AND COMPLETE CONTROL, WHICH IS WHERE I'M AT NOW ENJOYING A FAIRLY REDUCED EXISTENCE.'

THIS LOW-KEY PERIOD, DURING WHICH OWENS HAS BEEN 'WORKING OUT LIKE A MOTHER FUCKER TO FEEL ALIVE AND LOOK GREAT', HAS ALIGNED WITH HIS RECONSIDERATION OF COLLABORATIONS AS AN INTERESTING PROPOSITION. 'I'VE BEEN WORKING IN AN ISOLATED, RECLUSIVE WAY FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT COLLABORATIONS HAVE ADDED A NICE RHYTHM TO MY WORLD', HE SAYS, OFF THE BACK OF A SUCCESSFUL, HIGH-PROFILE UNION WITH MONCLER. 'I WAS SCEPTICAL THAT COLLABORATIONS WERE FAKE HYPE MACHINES, BUT I THINK THEY PORTRAY A SENSE OF UNITY THAT FEELS POSITIVE'. PLUS, HE ADDS, IT'S 'EXHILARATING' TO SEE PEOPLE YOU PREVIOUSLY PERCEIVED AS 'UPTIGHT' OPEN UP AND LEARN NEW WAYS OF WORKING.

DR MARTENS HAS ALWAYS REPRESENTED THE STOIC AUTHENTICITY AND CONSISTENCY OWENS, WHO HAS BEEN STEADFAST IN HIS ABSOLUTE, BRUTALIST VISION, ADMIRES. 'MAKING SOMETHING – WHETHER THAT'S A PRODUCT, AN AESTHETIC OR A GESTURE – AND STANDING BEHIND IT AND NOT THROWING IT AWAY IS BUILT INTO WHAT I DO', HE ASSERTS. IT'S SOMETHING HE RECOGNISED IN LA'S EARLY PUNK SCENE. HE RECALLS DRIVING DOWN MELROSE AVENUE IN A FORD COMET – COMPLETE WITH FINS, STEER HORNS AND A STUFFED IGUANA AS A GEAR SHIFT – LISTENING TO MARLENE DIETRICH, WAGNER AND THE SISTERS OF MERCY, AND VISITING A HARDCORE STORE CALLED POSEUR. 'IT WAS MENACING AND INTIMIDATING BUT HAD THE MOST SPECTACULAR PUNK PEOPLE THERE WHO WORE DR MARTENS,', HE SAYS OF THE HEAVILY PIERCED AND TATTOOED INDIVIDUALS WHO BECAME HIS IDOLS AND PEERS. 'TO SEE THESE CREATURES LIVING THEIR LIVES 24/7 LIKE THIS – NOT JUST WEARING SUNDAY BEST KIND OF FASHION – WAS THRILLING TO ME. I VOWED THAT IF I WAS EVER GOING TO PRESENT SOMETHING, I HAD TO FULLY LIVE IT AUTHENTICALLY.'

WITH THAT GERM OF AN IDEA SAFELY PLANTED REGARDING HIS FUTURE, OWENS THREW HIMSELF INTO THE RAW, SWEATY ANARCHY OF THE PUNK MOVEMENT. 'I RELISHED IN THE VIOLENCE AND HOMOEROTIC SEXUALITY OF THE MOSH PIT', HE SHARES. 'I'M PRETTY SURE SOME OF THE SCARS ON MY FACE MIGHT HAVE BEEN INFLICTED BY DR MARTENS.' OWENS BACKTRACKS THAT THIS IS PERHAPS NOT THE MOST PROFESSIONAL LIGHT TO SHED ON HIS NEW BOOT TIE-UP, BUT HIS UNFILTERED APPROACH TO LIFE IS WHAT HAS EARNED HIM LEGIONS OF ACOLYTES WHO DRESS HEAD-TO-TOE IN RICK OWENS'S SIGNATURE GRUNGE-GLAMOUR UNIFORM.

WHILE THE DARK UNDERWORLD OF THE DESIGNER'S IMAGINATION – AND HIS PENCHANT FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC, WHICH BLARES LOUDLY DURING OUR CONVERSATION – STILL BUBBLES AWAY, THERE'S NO DENYING ONE OF FASHION'S REBELS HAS SOFTENED. OWENS HAS, HE OFFERS UP, LEARNED TO COMPROMISE. 'I DON'T NEED TO HAVE THE LAST WORD IN COLLABORATIONS BECAUSE I HAVE IT IN MY OWN LIFE', HE NOTES, PREEMPTING THE SECOND DROP OF DR MARTENS X RICK OWENS IN MAY. AS FOR THAT BALANCE BETWEEN CONTROL AND COLLAPSE? 'PERHAPS IN FIVE YEARS I'LL INDULGE MY ID AND ABANDON MY MORTALITY – IT SOUNDS DELICIOUS, DOESN'T IT?' OWENS'S INNER PUNK HAS NOT HAD HIS LAST WORD YET.