Daniel RidingWe have always considered the world of fashion to be a colourful dressing up box where we can dress how we feel for whatever any occasion will call for. We love colour, style and any form of tailoring known to man. But many of us here at MFM are known for having a love for styles and trends that offer up something a little darker and edgier. Rick Owens is a designer whose creative talents flow through the veins of dark sartorial style which offers up the clothes that have a wonderful mix of rock, grunge and couture-like sophistication.
What his clothes off is for everyone to explore a darker side to their style and twist the sartorial into something a little more raw and exciting. While the colour palette for his creations may be limited, they still offer up so much more expression and freedom of style than many designers today.
LE FREAK, C’EST CHIC
Even though he is known as an American designer, Rick Owens comes across as something far more exotic. He has Mexican roots on his mother’s side and instead of staying in American he now resides in Paris with his wife. His studio where he lives and works is in a five-story mansion on the Place du Palais Bourbon, in central Paris.
Owens has a successful and luxurious multimillion dollar business through his extreme talent. He seems to have the gift of allowing everyone to see and feel the beauty that resides within imperfection. After all it is our imperfections that make us so wonderfully different, and this is what the Rick Owens brand encapsulates. While he has managed to create an almost cult following through no advertising whatsoever, his loyal customers live for his evocatively simple colour scheme and pieces that offer up a different take on individuality.
He himself has used the word “monotony” to describe his work and has compared it to Lou Reed’s music: “minimal chord changes, and direct.” This description is perfect in its delivery for it comes from the designer himself and this is what has built his fan base overtime. The great thing is that you know what to expect from a Rick Owens collection, but that can never be a bad thing because within the darkness of his designs is the opportunity to dive in head first into a world of a simply luxurious and edgy aesthetic.
Despite the dark demeanour of his brand, the man himself is known to be very welcoming, warm and offers up a wicked sense of humour. He has even been quoted as saying that his customers take his clothes more seriously than he does. While his work ethic is inspiring he knows how to let his hair down and entertain people.
The clothes however, speak for themselves and there is no one who can deny his talent, level of taste and his consistency in offering up something wonderful each collection. Take a look at many of the amazing pieces we have been coveting below.
FINALLY…
His work may find a few of you a little intimidated by how edgy and ‘out there’ his pieces are, but there is something here that everyone can inject into the pre-existing wardrobe. Just remember that there is a little darkness in all of us and there is nothing wrong with having a little play with it every now and again.