Rick Owens Defence Strategy
Review of Rick Owens Fall 2025 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Essentialism , Defense Mechanism, Poetic Romance
Taking the show back into the confines of the Palais De Tokyo, Rick Owens Hollywood-worthy productions (with a cast to match) were tempered for a collection seemingly focussed on a defence strategy – in both the ‘spiked’ footwear that was a standout of the show and as per the show notes a defence of his creativity as this collection was created while in isolation in the small town of Concordia in Italy where he has a factory. A self-imposed sabbatical to re-centre in order to develop something “weird and wonderful” is what Owens described it as. The change of pace from the re-location also let those in attendance keep an open mind for what was to come, there was to be no Hollywood-style production this season.
The time away in Italy gave the designer the headspace to consider the concept of essentialism, being that he tends to travel with a simple Rimowa carry-on (his own collaboration with a bronze exterior and leather lining) , his opening with looks were cut high on top and low on the waist and graduated from a ultra-luxe minimalist gym kit to ultra-lightweight jersey, wool blend thermals and wool jackets and coats – this was the high-spec version of what to pack and what to spare in a carry-on case.
Rick Owens next section was his latest iteration of extreme footwear that was seen before it was heard and garnered a rash of ‘phones up’ in the front row. What can only be described as porcupine-style spikes protruding from the knee, looked like a high-fashion defence mechanism? Or a reaction to our need to defend ourselves from the world at large as conservatism encroaches into all areas of our lives. Either way these spiked accessories – laser-cut and handcrafted from a heavyweight cow leather to create skirts and boots – were a collaboration with CGI artist Victor Clavelly, whose designs often exaggerate the proportions of the body in dysmorphic ways, a quality that Owens said he is “always on the lookout for” according to the notes. There were also moments of poetic romanticism that was the mirror opposite to the typical gothic aesthetic that the brand is known for. Seen here in the all-over frills of a hoodie and sculpted top, rather than use satin or crepe to achieve the mille feuille effect, this was instead another collaboration with the unexpected – but wholly appropriate for the brand – material choice of rubber created in partnership with ‘Rubber Mistress’ Matisse Di Maggio. Crusted effects on flared jeans also gave a sense of being battle-worn and were made using “layers of bronze foil and wax…pressed onto 13OZ denim and washed to create a crusty surface texture”.
There is a constant refining and reworking of the Rick Owens DNA, balancing the need to refresh and stay relevant at a time when the world is incessantly requiring the new, the designer manages to stay within the parameters of his house codes where each member of his tribe – whether old or new – know they are represented. And while viewing the collection for the first time it was striking (but not surprising as Owens has been running his brand since 1994) how when assessed individually, it was all ultimately very wearable – from the knitted hoodies to the high-collar parkas and cropped bomber jackets. His designs may not always read as approachable for the way they are often rendered in moody colours with a baseline of black and can sometimes feature impossible voluminous shapes, but they will tend to filter down to the mainstream without fail, from his elongated jerseys to his platform Chelsea boots and bubble-like puffer jackets.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
I can need less but make choices count more. I want to depend on less things but make them as supernatural as possible”
Rick Owens, Creative Director, Rick Owens
THE WRAP UP
Time and again Rick Owens has shown us why he is a leader in a race all his own, over the past few seasons he has never fails to produce collections that aren’t served justice by being described as merely fashion items, from pumped up inflatable boots to billowing organza jumpsuits. And in the closing statement of his notes for the press the creative maverick referenced another in his choice of David Bowie’s 1977 song ‘Heroes’, sung in French, German, and English (the fact that the song was recorded by Bowie in a studio located next to the Berlin Wall, makes it perhaps the most appropriate song in the current climate), in which he considered the song a soundtrack to our lives that still had the possibility of a “Weird and Wonderful Future”, despite all evidence to the contrary.
