Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear: Rick Owens

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(opera music)

There s so much chaos and uncertainty in the world

that it really feels like storm clouds are gathering.

Rick Owens isn t partial to outside influence,

but it s hard not to see the battle-scarred heroism

of his latest collection as some kind of reaction.

I kind of assume that I m absorbing something,

but I m trying to think of things

that are more eternal usually.

I m thinking of things that apply to every single person

on the planet for like, 100 years.

I m fully aware though that to be relevant

you have to respond to something that s in the air,

and I assume that I am, although I can t

quite put my finger on how.

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He s got such a precise point of view,

and he really does communicate with his customer

in a really direct and uncompromising way.

And they get what he s on, and he gets what they re on.

I think it comes down to focus,

and I think clarity of vision,

appealing to a really specific niche,

a loyal niche, it s like a tribe.

And every season he finds something else

for that tribe to buy into.

I love kind of the ties, and the origami.

That was new, and that felt really fresh and special.

I saw a perfect black maternity dress that was just sick.

[Tim] Such a dramatic maternity dress.

I love that.

Rock and roll.

I love the jackets and the coat

with the little cords, the tone on tone,

and I also loved the Japanese knots,

and I love that they actually held

the little pieces of fabric together.

I ve always been so attracted

to the Japaneest element of art nouveau.

It s almost like Japanese basket weaving,

is what I m thinking of.

Something kind of so serene,

but at the same time I m doing it

in kind of this barbaric, extreme way.

[Tim] He was insistent that this was quite a tough,

hard show, and yet there was a lyricism in this

that I haven t seen in his work.

That whole kind of layering thing,

and I loved all the kimono treatments.

On the runway, as a vision, it was absolutely beautiful,

but he manages to take that very uncompromising vision

and turn it into something that s really commercial.

Now that is a real trick that defines the sheep

from the goats in this market.

(opera music) (applause)

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