Sigh. Rick Owens was one of the lucky designers this Paris menswear season to show at the start of the week, when Barack Obama, rather than Donald Trump, was the President of the United States of America. As the world descends into a dark place, he gave us Glitter. But don’t be fooled by the joyful, peppy title of the collection, there was an underbelly of concern and fear to this show. As an explanation for the title, Owens obscured that there’s been a darkness to his recent shows - with this, he wanted to move away from that. Indeed, ironically given that one of the things many of us love most about Owens is his consistency and confident vision, he doesn’t like to be pigeonholed or trapped in a pattern. Remember when he was fashion’s resident showman, staging collections against backdrops of heavy metal or contemporary dance? He let that go too - moving on to a more stripped back mood. That was a clean break - from one mood to another. But, here, one felt that Owens wasn’t really quite ready to move on.
The sense of something falling apart that has run through recent Rick Owens shows was here again - jackets were prolapsing, silhouettes collapsing. He talked of seventies carefree abandonment as one of his inspirations, but models looked ready for the battlefield rather than the dance floor. They came prepared for tough times - covered with pockets and sporting jackets that seemed to double as large bags, ready for supplies, protest banners or anything else the modern dissenter needs. One of the most striking aspects to the show were those bombastic piles of puffas that turned models from humans to marshmallow-like-sculptures. Puffas are big news in fashion at the moment thanks to Demna Gvasalia’s penchant for them at Balenciaga. Trust Owens to truly funk with the trend. You want puffas? He’ll give you puffas! Piles of them! But there was something sinister and sad about the way they almost resembled sleeping bags wrapped about their wearers. I thought of those in society who need support the most and felt melancholy. It’s easy for us, the liberal and lucky fashion pack, to moan about what faces society. But there are many whose situation looks much bleaker than ours - let's remember them.
There was a purity and stillness to this collection too. Some of those collapsing forms and pieces of paddings looked like bustles or ruffs. Encased by the operatic tones, they looked strangely formal and fine. One set of wrapped puffas formed a giant black bow on the back of a model. I thought of a haute couture gown - it looked just as good.
In his notes, Owens acknowledged the melancholy. ‘‘Glitter’ is about a deliberate gritted teeth decision to celebrate and do the very best with whatever you've got while you can; an unhinged defiance in the face of turbulence,’ he explained. As the finale - Owens’ models usually walk with conviction. Stomping down the runway in a pack like an army. Here they floated aimlessly, lapping slowly, seemingly confused. One just stood and looked around as if lost. In the crowd, their outfits looked even more muddled and warped - jackets were scarfs, coats were bags and so on. The message - take what you have, and use it in the best way you can. That’s a mantra to live by in today’s times.
