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FW22 STROBE

FW22 STROBE MEN'S

MEN

INFO

  • THURSDAY 20 JANUARY 2022, 20H00
  • PALAIS DE TOKYO, 13 AVENUE DU PRÉSIDENT WILSON, 75116 PARIS
  • GALLERY: [ RICKOWENS.EU ]
  • VIDEO: [ VIMEO ] // [ YOUTUBE ]

CREDITS

  • CASTING: AM CASTING (CLM)
  • HAIR: DUFFY (STREETERS)
  • MAKEUP: DANIEL SALLSTROM (MA WORLD GROUP)
  • PRODUCTION: LA MODE EN IMAGES
  • MUSIC: EXCLUSIVE EXTENDED MIX OF ‘LIGHTS’ BY SISTERS OF MERCY

NOTES

IN THIS AGE OF IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION AND META-SELF-INVENTION MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, MAYBE INDULGING MY ID IS ULTIMATELY THE WISEST PATH. THE LANGUOROUS GLAMASLEAZY LIGHT SEEKERS IN THIS COLLECTION REFLECT THAT MOOD. OUR DRELLA COATS (DRELLA BEING WARHOL’S NICKNAME COINED BY DISCIPLE ONDINE) CAN BE BELTED AROUND THE HIPS OR, WITH THE UNBUTTONING OF A BACK SLIT, BE THROWN OVER THE HEAD AS A PONCHO OR A CAPE.

THEDA BARA PARKAS WITH EXTRAVAGANT GOAT HAIR TRIM COME IN BLACK LEATHER, ORANGE CANVAS, OR REFLEX — AN INDUSTRIALLY FAMILIAR RETROFLECTIVE FABRIC WOVEN WITH YARN MADE FROM GLASS. TAILORED COATS AND JACKETS STILL HAVE EXAGGERATED SHOULDERS THAT I HAD STARTED DOING AS A PARODY OF MASCULINITY BUT ENDED UP ENJOYING WEARING… AN EXCUSE TO TAKE UP MORE SPACE AROUND ME. CAMP HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT EXAGGERATING EARNESTLY NAIVE URGES… DUVET COATS COME WITH FULLY ZIPPED HOODS WITH EYE HOLES TO FURTHER THE TIMELESS TRADITION OF OUT-MENACE-ING OUR MENACERS.

OUR EYE HAS GOTTEN USED TO A MASKED FACE. PATCHWORKED SHEARLINGS COME FROM A FAMILY-OWNED, SECOND GENERATION TANNERY FROM TUSCANY. THEY ARE LWG [LEATHER WORKING GROUP] CERTIFIED, WHICH COVERS ENVIRONMENTAL, TRACEABILITY, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. SLEEVELESS OVERSHIRTS TO BE WORN UNDER CROPPED, WIDE-SHOULDERED BOMBERS OR LAYERED UNDER OVERCOATS HAVE DEEP ZIPPED INTERNAL POCKETS THAT ACT AS MEGA WALLETS. HELMETS HAVE DAN FLAVIN-ESQUE FLUORESCENT BULBS SET IN CROWN SHAPES THAT I KEPT SEEING IN THE EGYPTIAN TEMPLES AND TOMBS I TOURED LAST OCTOBER. THEY ARE BALANCED OUT BY OUR NEW BLOWN-UP CONVERSE TURBOWPN AND DRKSTAR OR KNEE- HIGH PULL ON BOOTS WITH EITHER A LUG SOLE OR OUR BELOVED ACRYLIC-HEELED PLATFORMS. COTTON SILK DUCHESSE — WOVEN IN THE COMO REGION OF ITALY. SUPER HIGH THREAD COUNT THAT MAKES THE MATERIAL VERY COMPACT AND RIGID. 500 GRAMS.

WOVEN ON AN ARTISANAL SLOW LOOM. BONOTTO CANVAS WOOL — WOVEN ON AN EARLY 20TH CENTURY SHUTTLE LOOM WITH A LOW WIDTH AND NATURAL SELVEDGE. FROM THE VENETO REGION OF ITALY. MILL IS FOURTH GENERATION, FOUNDED IN 1912, AND BELIEVES IN TRADITIONAL OLD WEAVING TECHNIQUES WHICH THEY COIN ‘SLOW WEAVING’. 100% OF OUR COTTON JERSEYS ARE ORGANIC GOTS CERTIFIED COTTON. 90% OF OUR COTTON WOVENS ARE ORGANIC CERTIFIED COTTON. I DON’T MENTION ALL THIS OUT OF VIRTUOUSNESS, WE DEFINITELY HAVE ROOM TO IMPROVE.

I JUST LIKE PROMOTING THE CONVERSATION FASHION IS HAVING ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY. BUT THE PERFECT BALANCE OF VIRTUOUSNESS AND CHEERFUL DEGENERACY HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY HOLY GRAIL; THE DEGENERACY HERE ENHANCED BY THE SISTERS OF MERCY’S DRONING ‘LIGHTS’, AN ANTHEM I PLAYED OVER AND OVER IN MY MISSPENT YOUTH. I REACHED OUT TO ANDREW ELDRITCH ABOUT REMIXING THIS SONG, BUT HE PREFERRED I CHOOSE ANOTHER AS HE HAD NEVER BEEN HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCTION RELEASED. I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD — I DON’T KNOW IF THE IMAGE I WILL LEAVE BEHIND IS EXACTLY WHAT I PLANNED. BUT I THINK PEOPLE TRUST A CREATIVE EXPRESSION AT ITS MOST RAW AND SINCERE STATE AND RETAIN AND CHERISH IT. I HOPE HE WILL FORGIVE MY FINAL LIBERTY OF USING IT, IF NOT I WILL REPLACE FOR FURTHER RELEASE AND TRY TO FIND SOMETHING WITH THE SAME MYSTICAL URGENCY.

BECAUSE DOESN’T EVERY GUY WANNA BE REMEMBERED AS A HEROIC WIZARD STANDING ON A CLIFF HOLDING A TORCH?

FW22 STROBE WOMEN'S

WOMEN

INFO

  • THURSDAY 03 MARCH 2022, 18H00 CET
  • PALAIS DE TOKYO, 13 AVENUE DU PRÉSIDENT WILSON, 75116 PARIS
  • GALLERY: [ RICKOWENS.EU ]
  • VIDEO: [ VIMEO ] // [ YOUTUBE ]

CREDITS

  • CASTING: AM CASTING (CLM)
  • HAIR: DUFFY (STREETERS)
  • MAKE UP: DANIEL SALLSTROM (MA WORLD GROUP)
  • PRODUCTION: LA MODE EN IMAGES
  • MUSIC: GUSTAV MAHLER’S SYMPHONY NO. 5

NOTES

FASHION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT COMMUNICATION, AND SIGNALING VALUE SYSTEMS TO OTHERS. VALUE SYSTEMS REGARDING PHYSICAL BEAUTY AND STATUS BUT ALSO ABOUT MORAL BEAUTY AND BEAUTIFUL BEHAVIOR. IN TIMES OF MENACE AND STRIFE, THE WAY WE PRESENT OURSELVES CAN EXPRESS WHAT WE ENDORSE AND ASPIRE TO— AN EMPATHETIC AND GRACIOUS WAY OF MOVING THROUGH THE WORLD AND TREATING OTHERS.

I BELIEVE AESOP HAS ALWAYS EXPRESSED THESE VALUES THROUGH AESTHETIC, HYGIENIC, AND MORAL BEAUTY. IT IS A BRAND THAT CONSIDERS ITS SPACE IN THE WORLD AND USES THAT SPACE AS CONSIDERATELY AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE COLLABORATED ON A FRAGRANCE THAT IS DIFFUSED THROUGH THE PORTABLE FOG MACHINES THE MODELS CARRY LIKE BRUTALIST THURIBLES. OILS AND CANDLES WITH THIS FRAGRANCE WILL BE RELEASED LATER THIS MONTH.

GENTLE MANTLES, TUNICS, AND COWLS COME IN MUTED TONES OF ALPACA FELT RECALLING THE FELTS ALWAYS USED BY JOSEPH BEUYS, WHOM I HAVE REFERENCED AD NAUSEAM, AND DRAGGING ROBES ARE DRAPED IN GOBS AND FISTFULS OF DUST COLORED SEQUINS.

DUVET JACKETS IN RECYCLED NYLON, PYTHON, OR PIRARUCU ARE KNOTTED AROUND THE UPPER TORSO OVER LANGUID BIAS GOWNS IN VELVET OR WASHED DENIM OR KNIT RECYCLED CASHMERE. CANDY COLORED CONFECTIONS IN COLLAGED SHEARLINGS ARE CUT AS CROPPED, VOLUMINOUS BLOUSONS OR FLAT, LONG AND WIDE SOFT SHIELDS.

THESE SHEARLING COLORS REINTERPRET SPRING’S PLATFORM SPARTAN WADER BOOTS AS WELL. HIGH AND SHARP SHOULDERS ON T-SHIRTS, SWEATERS, AND JKTS ELONGATE THE ARM AND FRAME THE FACE WITH AN ALIEN SLOUCH. THEDA BARA PARKAS WITH EXTRAVAGANT GOAT FUR TRIM COME IN BLACK LEATHER, ORANGE CANVAS OR REFLEX— AN INDUSTRIALLY FAMILIAR RETROFLECTIVE FABRIC WOVEN FROM YARN MADE FROM GLASS.

100% OF OUR COTTON JERSEYS ARE ORGANIC GOTS CERTIFIED COTTON. 90% OF OUR COTTON WOVENS ARE ORGANIC CERTIFIED COTTON. OUR SHEARLING COLLAGES ARE BY-PRODUCTS OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY AND ARE FROM LWG CERTIFIED FAMILY-OWNED TANNERIES IN ITALY.

OUR LEATHERS AND SNAKE SKINS ARE PART OF A TRACEABILITY PROGRAM THAT CONTINUES TO REGULARLY AUDIT EACH STEP OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE IT IS SECURE AND ETHICAL. PIRARUCU IS SOURCED DIRECTLY FROM A LOCAL SUPPLIER IN BRAZIL WITH A TANNERY THAT COLLABORATES WITH THE LOCAL POPULATION THAT USES THE FISH FOR FOOD AND THEN THE SKINS PROVIDE THEM WITH AN EXTRA INCOME.

I DON’T MENTION ALL THIS OUT OF VIRTUOUSNESS, WE DEFINITELY HAVE ROOM TO IMPROVE. I JUST LIKE PROMOTING THE CONVERSATION FASHION IS HAVING ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY.

UPON RECENT LISTENING, THE EXCLUSIVE REMIX FROM EPROM I HAD PLANNED 3 MONTHS AGO FELT TOO HARSH AND OMINOUS FOR THE CURRENT MOMENT SO AT THE LAST MINUTE I SUBSTITUTED IT WITH MAHLER’S 5TH SYMPHONY, A PIECE I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED TOO SENTIMENTAL IN THE PAST, BUT BETTER SUITED FOR THE SOBRIETY AND SEARCH FOR HOPE IN OUR CURRENT CONDITION. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND GREAT COMFORT THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD GOOD HAS SOMEHOW ALWAYS MANAGED TO TRIUMPH OVER EVIL. DURING TIMES OF HEARTBREAK, BEAUTY CAN BE ONE OF THE WAYS TO MAINTAIN FAITH.