Rick Owens S/S 2014 Paris

[Vitamine W]

I guess I have a problem with the fact that everyone was black (except for maybe 2) it reminds me of that black vogue italia issue. That's not how you do diversity! showing forever on the palest of pale white girls and then one season everyone is black. that's divisive and somewhat exploitative to me. of course the step teams love it! that's their thing and to see it play on such broad stage internationally is great. I love the performance too! I just question it in a broader since in terms of fashion and human diversity.

^Please, again the diversity conundrum. Ugh. Do you really think he insisted the dance group should exist of mainly black women? Obviously it was about the energy and attitude of this particular dance style not the color of its dancers and I dont think his politically correct goal was 'diversity on the runway' either.

 

[Bidwell]

It would have been wonderful to witness it but even so, the sheer ENERGY jumps out at you even on video. Kudos to Mr. Owens and the terrific dance troupe for bringing us such a rich spectacle.

 

[cholo]

An extension of his previous collections in a new if not ridiculous presentation.

 

[Deleted member 119799]

oh no the delicate tastes of tfs were once again offended! try to think out of the box a little people, god you guys are so boring.

who cares if the clothes were overshadowed by the presentation, if you think fashion shows are still about actual clothes then you need to wake up, it's all PR. the people who need to see the clothes will attend the showrooms to take a closer look, like they usually do.

 

[Label Basher]

The performance was fantastic but then I love dance. I like when designers shake it up and think of different ways to present their shows. This whole season has been so disappointing so I thank Rick Owens for this.

I wonder if y'all would be complaining if this same style of presentation was done on the typical thin models?

Nobody complained the many times McQueen did it.

 

[Scott]

i have to say after actually watching the presentation,i was left feeling rather moved by it. the intensity of their faces,the movements...everything was really powerful. as for the question of the clothes,perhaps that wasn't the point ultimately? perhaps he used this opportunity purely as performance to drive home a message(i'd really love to see an interview to get his take,frankly) with his aesthetics woven through but left the actual clothes for the showroom. needless to say,isn't this what presentations are for? it's great to see rick do something against formula,nonconformist... and yes even for him this was completely left of field catwalk dross....very powerful. also,we haven't seen designers use non-traditional models since kawakubo and watanabe did that back in the 90's.....so for me this felt perfectly timed and it's about time really.

 

[SabrinaNicole]

I've only watched snips of it. At least it was interesting.

 

[masquerade]

people in this thread sadden me... one of the least socially progressive industries is fashion and it shows just from reading some of the comments. "Orange is the New Black"?! And maybe you aren't familiar with stomping but routines arent suppose to be pretty or be about looking cute in the face its about conveying strength and showing power and unity.

Amen. I think that we become so used to seeing a certain thing on the runway, that when we see something different, the immediate response seems to be discomfort or even disgust. Be that about body type, race, or even facial expression. Its pretty insulting to dismiss this as unattractive when that isn't what it is about.

As others have mentioned, this seems to be a really warrior inspired collection. These women are strong, and it shows in their demeanor and the clothes. I am also confused by the comments stating these clothes don't fit the dancers, or look good on them. They look like your average Rick Owens clothing on muscular and varied body types. If they don't look good on the women, its his fault as a designer. However, they certainly do fit them. The fit is evident in the video. They would not be able to move in those garments if they were poorly fitted.

Either way, the clothes seem pretty standard fare for Owens, minus the more comfy shoes. He gets kudos for making what could have been a dull and redundant fashion show evocative and interesting.

 

[Zazie]

If they don't look good on the women, its his fault as a designer. However, they certainly do fit them. The fit is evident in the video. They would not be able to move in those garments if they were poorly fitted.

Are you not seeing the puckering, bulging and split ends of zippers distorted into squiggles by rolls of body contours even when the dancers are *standing*? Under most circumstances those would have been considered by neutral observers as too tight garments resulting in a stuffed sausage effect, no matter one's body size. He wanted to use geometrical cuts, shapes, zips, stripes, etc., then make sure they work on bigger body types or it reduces the dignity he wanted to achieve. Any warrior would look a bit silly in ill-fitting, bursting at the seams warrior clothes.I'm fine with any type of presentation but it's his fault he made the dancers and the clothes look bad, especially in the first half.

 

[Uemarasan]

Back in 1997, Gaultier presented his "Harlem Renaissance" collection for A/W that was inspired by stylish black women, and featured a mostly black cast (I think Kristen and Yasmeen Ghauri were the only non-black girls--- unless it were two black girls that just looked like them). It was unbelievably cool and smoldering. I think the men's accompanying men's collection also had a similar concept and cast, with campaigns that featured black models (and launched the career of the bewitching Stacey McKenzie).

The clothes had a luxurious, urban hip hop styling mixed with impeccable tailoring. The vibe, the mood, attitude of the designs, the concept of the show and an all-black cast complimented one another perfectly. It was a thoughtful tribute to black cultures and black women. I still adore that collection and the strong and cool imagery today. This Rick Owen show doesn't feel that way at all: No connection between the cast and the designs. Maybe he thought "urban" because of the Adidas collab for the kicks? That's the difference between a visionary and a mere fashion designer.

I think designers has every right and freedom to present their show as they envision it to be. And I have every right to criticize it if I don't like it. Having these women stomp and making these faces (I know, it's tribal) at a high fashion presentation and wearing ill-fitting clothes does not inspire me. (It's like dressing a bunch of very tall and thin models in baggy clothes and basketball kicks won't look flattering either.) The performance created the much needed energy, spectacle and these are strong-looking women, but they didn't make the collection shine-- because it was a basic and forgettable collection. Rick could have had a group of Georgian folk dancers with their very physical acrobatics and I would feel the same way.

Should I praise the show, the designer and the performers because it's the PC thing to do, even if I don't like the result, for fear being labeled racist? The movements, the models and this collection doesn't work for me within the context of a high fashion show. I don't like it. Simple as that. It has nothing to do with race.

Thank you for this! Very clear-eyed observations. I admire the idea behind the presentation, but ultimately I found the show unmoving and lackluster. And I'm glad you mentioned Gaultier. He's the kind of designer-visionary who knew how to use a runway show to deliver a message effectively.

I guess it really doesn't help that I find Rick Owens such a subpar designer...

And time will tell if this is merely a publicity stunt on his part or he actually lives up to his arguments for fashion here. Let's see what he does for A/W 2014.

 

[nyc_art_style]

Originally Posted by TREVOFASHIONISTO
people in this thread sadden me... one of the least socially progressive industries is fashion and it shows just from reading some of the comments. "Orange is the New Black"?! And maybe you aren't familiar with stomping but routines arent suppose to be pretty or be about looking cute in the face its about conveying strength and showing power and unity.

Erm, excuse me. I was being facetious. I really hope you're not accusing me of what I think you are.

Thanks for clarifying LolaSvelt. I must admit I originally agreed with Trevo's comment. It's sometimes hard to gather a person's true meaning from a comment on the internet.

I loved the show; the clothes and the performance. It really brought some entertainment, and creativity (outside of design) to fashion week.

I don't know why people are insisting on seeing a social commentary in this show. All I got from it was that Rick saw a Step show, loved it, and decided to put a step team in his fashion show.

 

[FelipeV]

THIS!

At this point i understand that a fashion show is about a concept, and , maybe, the clothes are the last thing it matters. I loved the strong women, the energy of the show, and the response of the audience in there, and of course what he's trying to say about the industry.

 

[Menace]

This is..........

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...

...

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PERFECT.

 

[Shon D.]

Of course it was a collaboration! I did not think they were forced psychically to be there. The question is what do they gain from it compared to what Owens gain from it. I guess I have a problem with the fact that everyone was black (except for maybe 2) it reminds me of that black vogue italia issue. That's not how you do diversity! showing forever on the palest of pale white girls and then one season everyone is black. that's divisive and somewhat exploitative to me. of course the step teams love it! that's their thing and to see it play on such broad stage internationally is great. I love the performance too! I just question it in a broader since in terms of fashion and human diversity.

These are excellent questions.

 

[helmutnotdead]

damn. this was SO GOOD.