The skies were dripping heavy as Rick Owens superfans flocked outside Palais de Tokyo to celebrate Rick Day, dressed Rick-army style, hoping to get a glimpse of the clothes, or the Lord himself – who did show face for his final pre-show fit checks, btw. After a few seasons of showing in his home, since his SS25 menswear collection the designer has solidly returned to his traditional, more inclusive venue, where he can host more guests.
And as kids were climbing up the cult bus stop on George Pompidou to watch the show, the rainfall started to fade – just for Rick. Smoke machines fogged the place up and six black caped figures started throwing rose petals from the Palais de Tokyo roof, as the first of Rick’s army descended the wet concrete stairs.
Last season, we saw 200 students being recruited in the Rick Owens white army in an epic, biblical presentation, and this year, Rick did it again. The designer once again asked Paris fashion schools’ students and faculty to walk the show along with Owenscorp team-members and some friends. But this time, he went back to his classic black ways. The show started off with all-black ensembles. Models of all shapes and sizes walked in a scattered way, almost like cliques of kids walking down the street – a refreshing, rawer way of showing clothes, inspiring inclusivity, unity and community.
Owens’ previous collection “Porterville” was influenced by his hometown in California, a pure, simple town he escaped from. This collection was an ode to Hollywood, the “boulevard of vice”, where the designer once lived, following the steps of the designer finding himself and celebrating the unconventional and the outsiders. Rick did what he does best: black, dystopian, alien-esque vibes in the most majestic, haunting curation and the most refined craftsmanship.
The energy was cold, ethereal and ghostly. The looks came out in a series of groups; featuring flowy tulle celestial capes with hoods (think elegant medieval monks), squared shoulders, knee-high boots, followed by mossy dresses and capes, blue denims with green moss-like accents, leathers, biker jackets and bombers, grey skeletal dresses and finishing the show with a wave of metallic mermaid gowns.
Yesterday, we saw Rick return to his classics. The white, biblical references from the menswear SS25 collection took a gothic, dark turn. The Lord of Darkness made his way back to his natural habitat, embracing his dark side and empowering inclusivity in his curation and silhouettes (but also encouraging inclusivity with the kids outside the venue, watching in).
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