Rick Owens

[yffet]

Just found this : Why Rick Owens is the new Ralph Lauren

http://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/7564/rick-owens-lamyland-and-sick-twisted-perversion

“I am a reaction to Ralph Lauren,” says the designer. “That preppy thing, in love with the British aristocracy; a whole fake world that really wants to be royal. And yet I am criticizing that kind of fakery when I am the same fake thing. Except I am a middle-aged opera queen in loafers that makes out I am a 16 year old death metal skater… It’s all fake! My hair is fake, my body is fake and my teeth are kind of fake.” And instead of Lauren’s golden retrievers on cue… “We have ugly blackbirds that serve no purpose. And bees.”

[Faust]

What a useless, idiotic article. Someone, take a way the bitch's pen.

[Bleu1950]

thanks- ive a few friends that work at RLL. i just forwarded the kink to them. they'll be furious

[unwashed]

Thanks for the link, fun to read.

There's this quote:
“It would freak me out to put my name on something somebody else had done.”

Doesn't this contradict the Adidas collab? I thought I read somewhere that he wasn't that much involved designing these collab sneakers

[aussy]

I came to post the same article and the same reaction: complete fluff minus that last quote. Why do fashion journalists feel the need to tread the same beaten to death ground? Michele Lamy is cool, Rick Owens makes furniture too, enough already. Though I suppose the same could be said of most writers, rather media producers these days.

Returning to that last quote, its a good example of the duality of self doubt and confidence in response to creation. Is what I'm doing genuine expression or an affectation? Even with total commitment, some parts of the process are still conscious decisions and subject to such questions.

[bukka]

Just got back from the RO store in Milano. I tried a few pieces, including a bauhaus and a mollino that were both made in Moldova. Didn't Rick stop producing in Moldova a few seasons ago? Unfortunately, I didn't ask from which season those jackets were from, I expected them to be from the last one though.

Edit: Cross-posted from the "small questions thread" because ccp eyelet conv.

[Faust]

Must be the pre-collection. Bad news is more of the stuff will be made in Moldova.

[scanner]

Interesting to note is that 3 of the 4 the jackets I picked up from farfetch, the corner and mr porter were Made in Italy with a retail price of about 2300-2600 while the expensive 3000 calf jacket i picked up from RO .com was made in moldova. I honestly can't tell the difference in construction and materials with any of them. I'm starting to think maybe most of his stuff is now made in moldova and just being sent to italy for little trimmings and furnishings to garner that MII tag.

[Ahimsa]

^Made in Italy doesn't necessitate good working conditions either. There are plenty of hidden sweatshops with immigrants to do it there too (I read once of one being out of a parking garage). Some of the factories in NYC I could show you…everyone just turns a blind eye to it.

When you're producing at that kind of scale, however, factories are sure to be sub-contracting your work anyway unless you're very diligent about monitoring them.

[unwashed]

Ideally you just buy from designers who produce on a small scale, and who are transparent about their labour practices and production methods. But I can't see anyone here giving up Rick for these reasons...

The problem with this is pricing. I cannot buy a full wardrobe of PH/MA/CCP or any of these small designers which aesthetic I like.

I have tried to give up RO and sold most of my Rick stuff. I have a few things left but mostly pre-2011 period stuff. My last RO piece I bought was more than a year ago already. I want to stop buying RO, but then he makes something cool again and I forget about the practises being used to produce. It's like an addiction hard to get rid off...lol

[DudleyGray]

It's like an addiction hard to get rid off...lol

That's the half-jokingest "lol" I've ever read.

[sheepishlord]

Apologies if this is not the correct place for this. Is anybody a DRKSHDW historian familiar with older graphic tees, specifically from SS08? Sold a guy an 'eagle' graphic tee from that season and he left an all caps negative feedback ranting about how fake it was.

Some of his claims a simple google image search can refute, but he makes other points that I'm unsure of. Below is his full message detailing why he thinks the shirt is fake.

1 the paint on the tee is still fresh even though its been out of production for over 7 years. that wont ever happen especially when these garments are design to age.
2 the front drkshdw embroidered tag under the rick owens image embroidered tag is neither included nor is there any remnants of it every being included. If it were removed, there would clearly be sign of stitch removal because of how delicate the fabric is. Its also out of place. should be bottom right side instead of the left side where it currently is.
3 The lower back center tag with instructions is printed on a fabric/paper of lesser quality and has no sign of being treated with the garment as they always are. All rick owens labels are printed on a special weave. These labels can not be duplicated. The only way to duplicate would be to transplant an original tag onto a fake, but then the serial number would never match.
4. The care content print graphic is cropped off. Whomever replicated this got lazy when they did the graphic design for the care tags. They also left out additional information applicable to all drkshdw and rick owens garments. There is a reason they are used in the first place to distinguish the product. Its largely the reason they cost so much to manufacture. It's a mechanism used to protect the artistic quality of the garment and therefore justifies the cost.
5. These printed ss08 drkshdw shirts were blends of viscose and jersey making them much heavier and allowed them to drape. This replica fabric is far too light and is merely and poly cotton blend.
Ill keep it because it is a good knock off and can be used for photo shoots where few can tell the difference. It can not however be used to give to any of my clients. I took the loss. Why run the risk of taking another one? It's a rhetorical question you don't have to answer.

I purchased it used some time ago from a source I've repeatedly found trustworthy. Much of the guy's reasoning isn't logically sound, but I'm still trying to do some research beyond common sense, particularly about his claim of viscose and jersey blends (to my knowledge drkshdw basics from this era were all 100% cotton in one form or another). Any additional knowledge about graphic tees from this time would be greatly appreciated.

[Arkady]

Coming from a non-industry perspective I hope to never know that much about t-shirts.

[mrbeuys]

Classic small questions thread material too... sigh.

[voltbird]

I find myself annoyed by these types of articles, not necessarily because of their repetition ad nauseam, but because I have selfishly little interest in discussing Rick as he is component to the industry at large -- including these insipid editorials that could just as easily constitute clickbait ("Rick Owens and Ralph Lauren? What They Have in Common Will Surprise You!").

I buy Rick's clothes because I understand he is enchanted by the same things I am, and more importantly, laughing at the same things I am. Concept, inspiration, and philosophy are paramount to me. I need to feel a personal connection to the subject matter he's evoking. I'm sure that's why most of us are here on this forum, anyway.

I wish there were infinite interview opportunities, and that journalists unfailingly knew how to ask the right questions (and were encouraged to do so). I'm happy to simply sit and listen to him talk. I sometimes watch that NY Times "In The Studio" bit with him when I'm stressed. It's a very soothing video!