In 2001, a photograph by Corinne Day sped up eight years of work for Rick Owens and put him on the map. Kate Moss was photographed for Vogue Paris wearing one of his distressed leather jackets, which caught the eye of Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. This jacket was draped, dark and looked nothing like the clothes that were being showcased at the time. Most people weren’t familiar with Owens as he was working out of his small studio in Hollywood and had no budget for advertising. Still, Wintour was drawn to his image and his life changed from that point on.
Today, he has become a recognizable and influential leader in fashion, mainly popularizing avant-garde silhouettes and a dark minimalist aesthetic. Before the industry knew his name, it took him nearly a decade to build his cult-like following through word of mouth. His journey from navigating Hollywood Boulevard to being the must-see show at Paris Fashion Week is the outcome of a vision strong enough to speak for itself.
Owens grew up in Porterville, California — a small town that didn’t offer him any creative stimulation. He eventually moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in Otis College of Art and Design, but decided to drop out after two years. Instead, he went to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College to study pattern-making and completed his courses in the early 90’s. He got his first job in the fashion industry producing “knock-offs” of European designer clothing for various manufactures in the Los Angeles garment district. This experience led to him being hired by Michèle Lamy as the patternmaker for her fashion line, Lamy. Later on, she shut down the company which left Owens with no job.They remained in contact as she became the muse for his namesake label, Rick Owens, in 1994. Initially his designs were sold out of Charles Gallay, an avant-garde boutique on Melrose Avenue. The exclusivity of the boutique provided him with exposure among the Hollywood elite. Owens caught the attention of larger buyers, such as Maxfield and Barney’s New York, both of which began selling his designs in their stores, and still do to this day.
Owens’ leather jacket making an appearance in Vogue is how Anna Wintour became the sponsor for his debut runway show at New York Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2002. At 40 years old with eight years of work into his brand, he received the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent — now known as the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award — that same year. He was also appointed artistic director of Revillon and relocated to Paris as he produced collections for them from 2003 to 2007.
After his time at Revillon, he was able to further build his reputation by bringing the attention back to his own label and putting on bigger shows for each season, focusing on darker clothes, extreme silhouettes and theatrical productions. By the 2010s, he was a staple of Paris Fashion Week and a reference point for other designers looking to go against the grain of mainstream fashion. For Spring/Summer 2014, he replaced traditional models with 40 step dancers from historically Black college sororities, who performed choreography while wearing his designs. This show was called one of the greatest fashion shows of all time by fashion journalist, Tim Blanks. Rick Owens fashion shows have always been more of a statement of performance art than product presentations.
Owens’ approach to fashion was to never fit in, but to redefine it. His work has always challenged traditional ideas within the industry, and his perseverance to stay true to his vision is reflected in a legacy of fearlessness.
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