Rick Owens S/S 2014 Paris

[Marc10]

Ahhhh, a fashion performance. AT LAST. I thought that species was in extinction. It had to be Rick to deliver something so insane, raw and in-your-face like this. Just brilliant. And the collection did had a strong connection to the performance. All his signatures into a practical, lighter, shorter and looser silhouette. Comfort on a Rick Owens collection? This was really one for the books. Producing the most exciting show of the season and still in check with ongoing trend. All hail fashion's shaman king-goth ninja.

 

[Marc10]

Oh and these backstage pics after the show are just too awesome


nowfashion

 

[Not Plain Jane]

High Voltage!! So fun and enjoyable to watch.

Thanks for posting the video.

Oh and those backstage photos ... magic.

 

[dancorpse]

I even did not noticed the clothes, all my eyesight was caught by the models' facial expression~~

 

[ChristianThomas]

This show would never translate to good pictures of the clothing, cause all you see is the grimaces of the models in somewhat ill fitting clothing, but you don't see the energy of the whole performance. You really need to see this in the video... and sure the show isn't about the clothing but I bet he'll have a perfectly fine looking lookbook for that.

I think the most commendable part of the whole show is their dedication to the performance, they looked angry/slightly crazy in front of the whole fashion industry the whole show! In the past models had to be happy/flirty during Galliano shows and even half of those models didn't dare to do that, let alone if they had to put on such faces.. props for the girls!

 

[embrionar]

Well I really like his message, a breath of fresh air in fashion.

 

[LolaSvelt]

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.

 

[5 8 6]

Orange Is the New Black reference? Even one of the ladies reminds me of Taystee.

Dead.
Anyway, I think he put out a fantastic presentation, it was definitely more an art performance than a fashion show. We should give him credit for that, especially nowadays when seeing something that bold and unexpected on the runway has become very rare. My biggest problem, however, were the clothes: I get his whole idea of a modern warrior, but he could have explored the idea much further with the outfits. Instead, he came up with an exact copy of things he has presented during his career. For me it's a missed opportunity of creating something memorable and strong.

 

[vinceeatspencil]

love what he did, hated the clothes.

 

[Vitamine W]

Absolute highlight of the season. Period.
Still not buying his clothes though.

 

[kinkexplosion]

Here's the video

 

[Pricciao]

that was so good, my heart's beating really fast!

 

[dior_couture1245]

What a fabulous performance.

The clothes took a back seat to the show, but honestly, there were enough nice looking pieces to remind you that it was a good enough collection, but Rick has established himself so surely throughout his career that the focus not being entirely on the clothes this time around does no harm whatsoever.

Really amazing to watch. The pictures initially were startling to say the least, but once you watch it in a video, it's so energetic and infectious. And not that I ever, ever see models becoming obsolete....but I looked at the backstage pictures of Lanvin on style.com after watching the Rick video and I couldn't even stand it how boring and lifeless every girl looked!! Made me realize how dull most girls are today. They bring very little, if anything to the clothes. Rick showed us today the power of the wearer.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

 

[gazebo]

After watching the video it feels exploitative to me. Let's bring in the angry blacks with their great rhythm to entertain you. Does anybody feel the same?

 

[Deleted member 7575]

After watching the video it feels exploitative to me. Let's bring in the angry blacks with their great rhythm to entertain you. Does anybody feel the same?

No, mainly because this was a collaborative effort between the step teams and Owens. No one was being exploited, rather, their talents where being showcased. No more exploitative than when Marc Jacobs had the Penn State marching band perform at one of his shows, or Sonic Youth, or the band Owens had play at his last men's show.

But if angry black people is all you see then maybe the problem is more with your perception than Owens.

Also, all the black people I know, some of which are part of historically black sororities and have been on a step-team, are loving it.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

After watching the video it feels exploitative to me. Let's bring in the angry blacks with their great rhythm to entertain you. Does anybody feel the same?

no... not at all. Nothing was angry about this. If strength, power and teamwork translates to angry black women then idk how to help you. Nothing in that style.com video said angry, were you not listening?

 

[gazebo]

No, mainly because this was a collaborative effort between the step teams and Owens. No one was being exploited, rather, their talents where being showcased. No more exploitative than when Marc Jacobs had the Penn State marching band perform at one of his shows, or Sonic Youth, or the band Owens had play at his last men's show.

But if angry black people is all you see then maybe the problem is more with your perception than Owens.

Also, all the black people I know, some of which are part of historically black sororities and have been on a step-team, are loving it.

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.

 

[VerdeShimmer]

After watching the video it feels exploitative to me. Let's bring in the angry blacks with their great rhythm to entertain you. Does anybody feel the same?

This is how I felt initially. But I see that they were 4 different step teams which are usually dominated black women. This does seem to perpetuate the stereotype of the angry black woman. It is tough being a black women (from my American black woman experience), you can't be expressive without people attaching that to your TRUE persona.

I can see why some would think that and why others would see nothing wrong.

The quality of stepping was not that good...

 

[Phuel]

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.