He may not claim it, and perhaps he’d shy away from it, but Rick Owens’ AW 2014 Ready to Wear collection draws from the most esteemed of American cultural icons. The proverbial American in Paris, Owens seems to have had George Lucas’ Princess Leia and stormtroopers on the mind while designing. One certainly could see ties to architectural divinity and even note subversive elements, as one is wont to do in Fashion, but Owens’ sculptural draping and mixed textures call forth natural, woodsy inspiration.
Pop inspiration aside, this collection, like that of his similarly earthy Mens’ collection, makes refined use of leather, wool, even silks and plastics. Voluminous hide tunics top robotic moto pants. Dresses are cinched at the waist, showing the female from the tunics hide. Owens reused the slouchy leggings-cum-trainers that debuted in his menswear collection.
It is difficult to see how a woman might want to wear a garment that transforms her into a crocodile. That image and the cross between the caped kepi and a nun’s headdress that topped many of the looks (in both mens’ and womens’ collections), seem counter to the overt practicality of Owens’ zippered, tucked, and folded Spring 2014 collection. While women who are not models showed looks in both collections, this Autumn collection edges back into the fashion world with pieces that the everywoman will find difficult to place in her closet – but that very well might be the point.
by Alison Santighian
Images courtesy Style.com