Rick Owens: Plagiarism Has Never Been Surpassed.

Bona fide jokes

Rick Owens (

Often do something extraordinary, but as a

He did better in his work.

At the age of 37, he set up a personal brand and opened 5 independent stores in the world in more than 10 years. He was called "the most plagiarism designer", and few of them were successful in Paris.

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Owens's rebellious image has caused many misunderstandings for him, but in fact, he has not done less bad things.

In 2002, i-D magazine published a self portrait of Owens: in the picture, he was naked and urinating himself in another nude photograph.

In 2006,

Pitti Imagine invited Owens to design a device. He gave the organizing committee a simulation wax figure instead of a jacket and peed in front of a mirror.

In fact, the wax figure was prepared for Owens's residence in Paris, but he wanted Pitti Imagine to pay for herself.

"That thing needs 20 thousand euro!" he once said naughty. "Pee is the theme I love to use."

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"What I am trying to show is the side of my love affair, but my intention is good. I am not as radical as some people think."

In a mail interview with reporters, Owens defended himself. "People think I am serious about doing those things, and I do not know that I am just playing tricks."

Like his clothes, Owens.

He was also astonishing as he himself was.

About five years ago, at that time, the world was still immersed in the joyous atmosphere of 1960s. Owens launched his famous dark and soft washed leather, broken lining, radiant and beautiful coat, and all kinds of black and dark ash everywhere.

If three words are used to describe his press conference, it is "outer space", "Gothic" and "horror movie".

The tall bun of the model is like two antennas. The long skirt covers the shoes, giving the ghost the illusion of floating.

But if you think so

You are wrong when you represent the taste of a small group of people, because the 49 year old Owens has become the most influential American in the world today.

One of.

The New York Times called him "perhaps the most popular designer in the fashion world".

Owens those signature design elements, such as winding zippers and cobweb.

And thin skin like motorcycle hand fur clothing has become popular in the past few years, appearing in countless other brands, ranging from Alexander Wang to Rag&Bone, from Topshop to American Apparel.

His influence extends directly from the extension platform to the high street, and further inspires Asian designers such as Damir Doma and Julius.

In this regard,

Of

Sarah Rutson also realized: "in 2007, when we first opened a shop in Beijing, we introduced the Rick series.

I thought we had to go through a long period of enlightenment. After all, Chinese consumers remained at the stage of concern only.

However, what I didn't realize is that we haven't made any efforts.

All the clothes were sold out. "

As of this year, Owens has 5 independent stores worldwide, with annual sales of 30 million euros.

For a designer who did not set up a personal brand until he was 37 years old, this is no small achievement.

How did he do that?

From barge to door-to-door promotion

The story of Rick Owens began in a small town called Porterville in California.

His father is a social worker, while his mother is a teacher.

After graduating from high school, he went to live in Losangeles, in Otis's art.

The college studies fine arts, but it soon drops out.

"I was frightened by the academic atmosphere of the art world. I thought I was too stupid to do art, but I could make fashion."

Owens recalls, "my father wanted me to have a skill, so I signed up for a course in Losangeles trade and Technology University and became a printer."

In fact, as early as the Catholic high school, Owens had a strong interest in fashion.

The Thierry Mugler ads in the French version of Vogue fascinated him, and early inspiration brought him opera.

"I grew up listening to Wagner's" ring of the ring ".

He said.

In the first few years of his career, Owens worked in a garment company in Losangeles.

Yes

The experience of dismantling, depicting and duplicating makes Owens master the extraordinary.

Skill.

Owens's notorious nightlife experience also came from that time. He not only used drugs and alcohol, but also frequented pornographic bars and mingled with psexuals.

In his own words, the depravity of those years "tested the limits of my body".

In the early stage of entrepreneurship, Owens met his current wife.

The celebrated French Michele Lamy was then the owner of Les Deux Caf e, Losangeles's popular restaurant.

At the age of 37, Owens finally set up a small studio on Hollywood Avenue with two employees.

How to carry out the initial brand promotion? Owens way is not to put ads, two do not contact fashion media, but personally bring the work to the retailers.

It's no exaggeration to use "door-to-door selling," he said.

Soon, Losangeles's Maxfield

The Louis Boston in Boston and the Linda Dresner in New York can see the products of Owens.

His low-key punk fashion has won the popularity of underground rock enthusiasts, and Courtney Love is one of them.

Jewelry designer Loree Rodkin still remembers Owens's first series: "that's the most fashionable series I've ever seen, which is made of garments, but it looks like a sophisticated custom texture.

I bought 10 things, T-Shirts, fur coats and fish tail skirts.

I still keep those clothes up to today. "

Fashion writer Lee Carter first saw Owens in 1996 at Mercer hotel in New York.

Just during fashion week, Owens was editing and buying alternative magazines in his hotel guestroom.

"He introduces us to the details of every dress coolly, and I know he will be popular sooner or later."

Carter later wrote.

That's true.

In 2002, it was the breakthrough year of Owens career. The American version of Vogue sponsored his first conference. After that, he won the "Perry Ellis" of the American Fashion Designers Association.

The Grand Prix.

When people thought that a New York fashion star was born, Owens made a decision to go to Paris.

He received a contract from Revillon, an old leather clothing house in France, and Lamy had long been tired of restaurant management.

It seems that crossing the Atlantic is unavoidable, but no one has ever thought that this is going to be ten years.

Americans in Paris

It's not every show to Paris.

Dream? A year ago, new Yorker Zac Posen went far away.

In pursuit of his French dream, Posen announced the return of the season after two successful meetings.

History has long proved that Paris is no paradise for young people who dream of their dreams. Owens did not leave Paris ten years ago.

Although the cooperation with Revillon lasted only three years, Owens took a firm foothold in Paris.

Today, he holds a press conference in the two quarter of each year in Palais de Tokyo, located in the 16 district.

According to him, part of the reason for choosing the Tokyo palace is because "I can walk directly from my home."

The residence and studio of Owens and Lamy is located in the heart of downtown Paris. It is made up of two connected five storey buildings. It was originally the headquarters of the French Socialist Party. Mitterrand also worked here.

In the mail, Owens describes his daily life: "my bedroom is on the five floor of my house, so I go downstairs every day, finish the mail on the terrace, and then go to the office on the two floor for a meeting.

After the meeting, I will go through the Dursley palace to the gym in the opera square and do some exercises, then go home for lunch, take a nap, and then start working until dinner around 10 p.m.

Although there was a crazy young age, 50 of Owens declared that he was living a "monastic life" at this stage.

"Gym, home and restaurant are my Golden Triangle."

He said, "my life is very regular, and we seldom go out at night."

Eight years is enough to make him a real Parisian, but Owens can not speak French at present, nor does he wear "Paris". Besides, have you ever seen a Frenchman who enjoys fitness? "I like the feeling of living in a foreign country. It reminds me of the sense of isolation in adolescence."

Owens frankly speaking.

Every month, Owens will go to Italy's factory for a week.

Since 2001, he has worked with the same factory, and the factory has only served the brand Rick Owens.

He designs 6 series a year.

,

Lilies (this is a lower price sub line).

Fur and furniture.

"Sometimes I think, if you don't have to worry about everything, you can't even manage every button, but I still feel that my brand is better than myself."

Compared to five years ago, although Owens's design continued to have similar outlines and palette, the mood of clothing was no longer angry, and the theme of the series was more approachable than expected.

Take the 2008 autumn and winter series as an example, Owens's inspiration is mainly the 1970s band KISS member Gene Simmons.

What impressed him most was Simmons's performance in "The Mike Douglas Show".

"He was wearing a stage costume made by himself, a cloak with an exaggerated collar and wings on his back.

I'll take that set.

The outline is applied to this series.

In the fashion world of Owens, vampires and nuns are also dressed in uniform.

Whether you like Owens's design or not, his success really stimulated the rise of a fashion category, whether you call it Gothic or something else.

The most affected by Owens are the avant-garde designers, such as the American brand Ohne Titel double group Alexa Adams and Flora Gill, London Gareth Pugh, Haider Ackermann of Paris, etc.

As the initiator of all this, Owens did not care about plagiarism and plagiarism.

As usual, he said in an interview humbly: "there are things when it appears in the air, everyone can feel it, it does not belong to anyone."

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B: the fashion industry generally defines you as Gothic designer or rock and roll style.

Do you seem to have some comments on these titles?

RO: I doubt people will take me.

I think that rock fashion may be related to my long hair. I wanted to make my design more elegant.

I have always wanted to do some decadent tailoring, which is mainly influenced by the advanced customization of Madame Gres and Vionnet, and their clothes must have made many people feel too advanced when they just appeared.

On this basis, I use rough texture and collapse lines to reflect the frustration and fragility of punk rock and grunge rock, which represent two far-reaching stages in the history of music. Everyone in this era should feel empathy.

So, well, in the final analysis, my design is really inspired by rock and roll, but they are also inspired by Wagner and Debussy.

B:Net-a-Porter describes you as "having a unique vision of the fashion inspired by rock". You said, "in 1994, you created your own fashion brand in Losangeles, but until 2002, you won the American fashion.

After the Rookie Award, and moved the company to Paris, the brand was really active in the fashion world.

What did you do between 1994 and 2002?

RO: at the beginning of the establishment of my own brand, I put all my clothes in a bag, and then went to look for a better clothing store I know. It is no exaggeration to use "door-to-door selling". Of course, I know which store is better.

So I gradually had some business.

Then my design was seen by Andre Leon Talley in the window of Henri Bendel of New York tidal shop, and he introduced me to Vogue magazine.

Later, Vogue sponsored my first conference in New York.

I moved the company to Paris because my factory was located in Italy, and Paris was more tolerant of the design of the sky and the sky, so it was more appropriate to publish there.

In New York, people may only regard me as a freak.

B: what's the impact of moving to Paris on your design?

RO: the show in Paris likes almost abnormal fashion.

I also like the pressure on the environment.

B: before you set up your own brand, you worked for Losangeles's clothing company for many years.

What did you learn from that experience?

RO: during that time, I was repeatedly and precisely.

Training, which has benefited my whole life.

B: when you were young, were you most likely to be attracted by that kind of man or woman?

RO: I wanted to be a mixture of Cher and Joe Dallesandro; if you had seen me before, I would have known that I was pretty close.

I've always liked the way Divine and Bowie and Dietrich shave their brows.

B: when you met Michelle Lamy, did you fall in love at first sight? Is she your goddess?

RO: it may be a bit exaggerated to describe it with a goddess, but she did have a great attraction for me at that time.

It took us two years to get started, but that was more than 20 years ago.

I can't imagine myself being with others now.

B: which part of the job do you like best in designing clothes?

RO: I like a month before the opening of a show. At that time, all the ideas were glued together. The whole effect began to show up and showed the potential to become the best part of my conference. It could blend the previous series and turn it into an unassailable expression of beauty. Of course, I knew it would never happen, but I like to make such a fantasy.

B: you once said that you like to study retail.

What attracts you most from retail?

RO: the retail market embodies the real reaction of real people to real clothes, and the media is only a game of political manipulation.

Although both have their own reasons for existence, I prefer feedback and affirmation from the retail industry.

B: why do we choose the Palais de Tokyo as the venue for the launching of the conference? Palais:

RO: This is my favorite decorative art style building in Paris. It is large, solemn, symmetrical, and graceful. In addition, I can walk directly from my home.

B: how do you develop a series of designs every new season?

RO: there seems to be no specific starting action or procedure, because design is a process of continuous accumulation.

Each series will affect and extend to the next, and all the series will be a large series, and will never end, will only be divided into chapters.

To be specific, I always pay attention to shape and proportion, and try to put them in the right place.

B: what are your daily work schedules?

RO: my bedroom is on the five floor of my house, so I go downstairs every day, finish the mail on the terrace, and then go to the office on the two floor for a meeting.

After the meeting, I would go through the Dursley palace to the gym in the opera square, and then walk home for lunch, take a nap, and then start working until I have dinner at around 10 in the evening.

I go to Italy's factory every week for a week.

B: where do you get your inspiration? Do you get inspiration from your dream?

RO: if I know how to get inspiration from a dream, I will master it and make use of it.

But most of my inspiration comes from architecture books, and works like Marcel Breuer, Pierre Chareau, Le Corbusier and Josef Hoffmann can give me inspiration.

B: what kind of environment can inspire you most?

RO: an empty, air-conditioned white room.

B: what changes have taken place in the design direction of Rick Owens brand in the past few years?

RO: in the early years, I might prefer to reflect the style of destruction and collapse, but now I gradually turn to a utopian idealistic fantasy, a doomed daydream.

B: can you share some of your favorite movies?

RO:Cecille B. Demille's "Cleopatra"; Nazimova's "Sha Lemei (Salome)"; Ken Russell's "devil" (The Devils); "Vanessa" starred by Vanessa; "Pink Flamingo", "starring flamingos"; "night watchmen"; "song of the big tree".

B: how do you keep your figure? If your body is not like this now, do you think the fashion you design will look different?

RO: I have insisted on going to the gym for 15 years. For me, it has become like brushing my teeth. It is a routine procedure for personal image.

Compared with clothes, exercise can fill my mental gap.

I can't imagine what it would be like if I were another body.

B: are you a perfectionist?

RO: Unfortunately, yes, and there is a growing trend with age.

B: we've also collected some questions from Chinese netizens for you.

Leslie wants to ask you, you will wear other.

Design clothes? If so, can you give me some examples?

RO: the only designer I bought in my life.

It's a Helmut Lang sports jacket. It was in the 80s of last century, but I didn't wear it once.

In addition, I made a reservation in Chrome Hearts.

Like a vagabond, he didn't wear it for five years. It was also in 80s.

Now, I wear the same style of clothes every day: T-shirts, collar sweaters, and a pair of baggy shorts, all from my own design, like uniforms.

I like the discipline, self-restraint and moderation of uniform.

B: netizen Paris asks, you will be

Cooperation? Why?

RO: at present, I focus on my own.

Any other cooperation is not appropriate.

It is not that I do not agree with this kind of cooperation, but it is not suitable for me.

B: netizen June Solstice asked, "what are you looking at?"

Where was it produced?

RO: Italy, I can only tell you so much. My factory is absolutely confidential. I hope it works for me only.

B: have you ever thought of adopting bright colors in design? Yang Da Wei asked.

RO: maybe in the future, but I don't believe I would really do that.

There are already various colors on the market, and my favorite color is quite quiet.

But I also appreciate the near brutal use of colors like YSL and Lacroix.

B:Fydanny wants to know how you describe the working relationship with the stylist Panos Yiapanis.

RO: just like four times a year, three days at a time.

I think people will be surprised if they see how crazy and immature we are at work.

B: do you accept apprentices? "Rasion asked.

RO: I tried, but what I need more is space.

B:Rita would like to ask you if you like Joan of Arc?

RO: of course, I love idealism, especially when it is led astray or ends in tragedy.

B: the last question comes from netizen Vmama: can fat wear your design?

RO: I'm glad they can.

My design was originally created for everyone.