As we slowly approach spring, global brands are already presenting their collections for the upcoming season. However, not all of them are maintained in a light climate of spring freshness, Rick Owens’ Dark Futurism is something completely unique. On Thursday, on the Parisian stage, the designer took us to a new dimension of style during an incredibly sensational show entitled “Porterville”. His latest men’s collection for spring 2024 is a unique testimony to deep emotion and extraordinary style that transcends the boundaries of convention.
Rick Owens, a master of the avant-garde and the undisputed iconoclast of fashion, once again surprised us not only with his unique vision but also with his unconventional approach to presenting his works. His Parisian home became the stage for this moving event, where the dark and futuristic style reached new, epic heights.
A designer who conveys emotions through clothing
A raw, post-apocalyptic style and an unusual approach to cuts, asymmetry and dark aesthetics are slogans associated with only one thing. Rick Owens’ brand has become synonymous with experimenting with form, gaining recognition for innovation and consistent adherence to its aesthetic. Rick himself is not only a designer, he is also an artist whoboldly shapes the future of the fashion industry, inspiring and controversial at the same time. His brand is a tribute to individualism and courage in a world that sometimes focuses on convention.
In addition, each piece of Rick Owens fabric carries not only history, but also strong emotions. He himself sees the presence of futurism in many of his collections, admitting that for him it means searching for utopia. J ego design shows frustration with the current status quo, the state of affairs, and a deep longing for a more magical place. It is a manifestation of the desire to cross boundaries, expressed through the search for something unique and non-standard in the crowded space of fashion.
What is Rick Owens’ dark futurism this time?
Let’s take a moment to look at Owens’ intriguing puffers. Shaped like gourds that can almost swallow a head, or those that seem like two anvils propped up on the shoulders, they are a modern version of the revenge suit, contrasting with the unreal aesthetic of airport duty-free aisles. Metaphorically, they are also opposition to greed and intolerance which, according to Owens, lie at the root of all conflict.
Similar references were made to his edgy biker leathers, oversized cardigans and inflatable boots, which further enhanced the futuristic mood of the show. Furry superhero capes and astronaut suits also appeared in a fashionable twist. Given these difficult times, Owens describes the intimate show as “respectful gesture” to the barbarity of modernity. In high salons, where parquet floors and white paint indicated the passage of time, models walked in strange, balloon-shaped shoes, making a strange sound to the sounds of melancholic music David Bowie’s “Warsaw”.
Rick Owens’ dark futurism in the form of a new collection, as always with distance but uncompromisingly opposing banality and the conventions of good taste and accepted etiquette. “It is a mockery of banality, a mockery of intolerance and a mockery of what is considered good taste and what is considered appropriate” – Owens confessed, exuding his characteristic, matter-of-fact tone.