For over 30 years, Rick Owens has been pushing boundaries and redefining modern luxury. Based in Los Angeles but with a global outlook, Rick Owens has become one of the most influential and directional fashion brands in the world.
Humble Beginnings
It all started in 1994 when Rick Owens left his position as creative director at a popular French fashion house to start his own label. Working out of a small studio in Los Angeles, Rick poured his energy into creating clothes that blended grunge, glam rock and a minimalist aesthetic.
The first Rick Owens collections featured expertly draped jersey dresses, supple leather jackets and skinny pants tailored to perfection. The clothes were uncompromisingly edgy yet made with an attention to quality and detail that elevated them.
Rick Owens was an overnight sensation, catching the eyes of celebrities and fashion insiders drawn to the brand’s dark elegance. In just a few short years, Rick’s smaller operation had blossomed into a globally recognized name at the forefront of fashion.
Pushing Boundaries
Since the beginning, Rick Owens has never been afraid to take risks or subvert conventions. Many of the house’s most iconic pieces challenge traditional assumptions about fashion andproportion.
Oversized silhouettes, asymmetric cuts and avant-garde shapes have become Rick Owens signatures. By playing with scale and volume, Rick creates garments that are theatrical, empowering and somehow completely wearable.
Rick Owens has also become known for its masterful leatherwork and knitwear. Using the finest Italian mills and ateliers, Rick produces leather jackets of unparalleled softness and sweaters of exceptional quality.
Even the simplest garment demonstrates a meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship more often found in couture houses. This devotion to technique elevates basics like t-shirts, jerseys and denim to new heights.
Dark Elegance
From the beginning, Rick Owens has cultivated an aesthetic that blends darkness with refinement. Monochromatic palettes, lush blacks, moody greys and shades of shadow establish a brooding elegance.
Clean lines, exceptional drape and modern tailoring balance the intensity, resulting in collections with edge and polish in equal measure. It’s a carefully craftedstudy in contrasts that has become synonymous with modern luxury.
Leather, wool, cotton jersey and silk are transformed through Rick’s artful eye. Garments skim the body, moving with the wearer in beautiful excess. The clothes are avant-garde yet wearable, sumptuous yet stern.
Garments That Empower
At its core, Rick Owens designs clothing meant to empower the wearer. Dramatic shapes cocoon and embolden, while expert cuts flatter the body.
Rick’s clothing doesn’t constrain or cling to the body. Instead, it allows for movement and individuality. Wearers inhabit the garments, filling them with their own personality and spirit.
From billowing silk dresses to slouchy leather jackets, Rick Owens pieces are imbued with strength and attitude. For those who wear them, the clothes become armor against a harsh world. Both men and women find power in Rick’s sharp tailoring and proportional play.
A Global Empire
The reach of Rick Owens now extends far beyond Los Angeles. Today it includes not only apparel and accessories but also furniture, homeware, jewelry, books and objets d’art.
Boutiques in cities like New York, Milan, Paris, London, Tokyo and Shanghai bring the Rick Owens aesthetic to devotees worldwide. Some locations also offer the iconic Rick Owens furniture line, which includes pieces like the Prong chair and Dark Shadows bed.
Owens and his wife Michèle Lamy preside over this fashion empire from their stunning Paris headquarters. The space includes a living area, ateliers, archive and publishing arm for the brand’s books.
From this creative hub, Owens art-directs seasonal campaigns in stark, striking images that capture the Rick Owens essence. The brand’s runway shows in Paris have also become cultural events, turning heads with their originality and craft.
A Timeless Allure
Despite changes in trends, the allure of Rick Owens remains constant. The brand’s distinctive DNA and “grunge-luxe” aesthetic never feels dated.
Followers around the world eagerly await each new collection. Will it feature languid draped jersey, sharply tailored leather or sculptural knits? Or will it introduce entirely new fabrics, shapes and ideas?
After 20 years in fashion, Rick Owens still manages to surprise and delight fans each season. The clothes may flout conventions, but their ability to connect with those on the fringe is universal.
Our Focus on Quality
Everything produced by Rick Owens adheres to exacting standards. The brand hand-selects the finest luxury fabrics from Italy, France and Japan. Whether working in cashmere, leather, cotton jersey or silk, only suppliers who meet Rick’s requirements make the cut.
Garments are constructed start-to-finish by artisans in Italy and France. Many have a generational expertise, bringing old-world skills to modern fashion. Patterns are draped and realized by Rick Owens patternmakers with an innate understanding of fabric and form.
Before any item arrives in stores, it undergoes intensive quality control. Nothing leaves the Rick Owens atelier without meeting the brand’s unwavering standards. This ensures that each piece reaching the consumer has the luxury, edge and attitude integral to Rick Owens.
Our Commitment to Innovation
Rick Owens has garnered attention from the start for its inventive shapes and silhouettes. The brand has even transformed basics by playing with proportion and geometry.
Over 20 years, Rick Owens has introduced new techniques like draping and asymmetric cuts that are now industry mainstays. At its core, the house prides itself on fearlessly rethinking fashion’s accepted rules.
Each new collection features original fabrics, like metallic leathers or double-faced cashmere. By partnering with the world’s best mills and tanneries, Rick Owens unearths innovative materials that inspire new creative possibilities.
Rick Owens will continue driving innovation in luxury fashion, both aesthetically and technically. It’s this forward momentum that keeps the brand culturally relevant after two decades.
Our Unique Retail Experience
Shopping at Rick Owens goes beyond just acquiring the latest pieces. With boutiques around the globe, the brand offers a distinctive retail experience that transports visitors.
Minimalist foyers lead into expansive galleries washed in soft natural light. Concrete walls and exposed pipes play against luxurious fabrics. The stores immerse you in the Rick Owens aesthetic, creating a soothing oasis far from the rushing crowds.
Displays are sparse and free of clutter. Mirrored platforms allow garments to float as you move through the space. This thoughtful presentation provides a meditative, museum-like experience.
The spacious stores allow for personalized service in a quiet, refined setting. Experienced staff act as guides, offering suggestions and fielding questions. Through their expertise, clients can better understand the Rick Owens point of view.
Stepping inside a Rick Owens boutique feels like discovering fashion’s best kept secret. Clothing finally receives the context and dignity it deserves.
Our Design Philosophy
Good design requires a harmony between form, construction and material. At Rick Owens, we believe that clothing should be logical yet beautiful. Pieces must serve a function while elevating the wearer.
This thoughtful approach allows us to create garments that are aesthetically striking yet uncompromisingly modern. They work with, not against, the body in motion.
We balance drama with wearability by focusing on silhouette, fabrication and tailoring. Rigorous study and constant refinement bring our ideas to life. Experimentation fuels evolution.
Our design process seeks simplicity guided by instinct. We pare down until only the essential remains. The final product provokes an emotional response beyond the practical.
This meticulous editing and restraint imbues our garments with attitude and sensuality. We create fashion that not only covers you, but consumes you. Clothing that becomes a second skin.
Our Commitment to Eco-Responsibility
Sustainability in fashion requires diligence across all aspects of production. At Rick Owens, we are taking steps to diminish our environmental impact across the supply chain.
We carefully monitor our energy and water usage, reducing waste whenever possible. Our clothing is shipped in recycled packaging using biofuels. These measures help lower carbon emissions generated by the brand.
We also partner with tanneries that utilize renewable energy and vegetable dyes. Metal hardware incorporates recycled metals to reduce mining impact. And we incorporate organic cotton, recycled wool and regenerated cashmere into select fabrics.
By working with mills focused on low ecological impact, we do our part to protect the environment. There is still progress to be made, but we are committed to this journey.
The Rick Owens Culture
Rick Owens is ultimately defined by its strong culture and values. We prize individuality, creativity and craft. By staying true to these principles, our clothes gain meaning and longevity.
Our diverse team shares a renegade spirit that rejects barriers and conventions. We support those who forge their own path, just as Rick did over 20 decades ago. That rebel mentality will always drive this brand forward.
Everything we create has a staunch point of view. Our garments don’t chase trends or mimic others. The consumer recognizes and connects with our authenticity and conviction.
Passion is the thread that weaves through our organization, from Rick himself down. It’s this shared enthusiasm that gives the brand its authentic, human touch. We create fashion that inspires obsession, because we are obsessed.
What’s Next
The future remains undefined for Rick Owens, which is exactly how we like it. Fashion is fluid and we will continue evolving organically each season.
But our foundational principles endure. We will keep crafting clothing of unmatched edge and beauty without compromise. Our restless creative spirit pushes us to take risks and test boundaries.
By remaining authentic to our core values, Rick Owens retains its pioneering role in luxury fashion. The possibilities feel endless. Wherever our journey takes us next, it will certainly not be boring.
