American designer Rick Owens combined architectural forms with Victorian silhouettes for his Fall/Winter 2023 show, which took place on an industrial-materials runway inside the smoke-filled Palais de Tokyo.
       The Luxor show, named after the Egyptian city where Owens spent his winter holidays, took place during Paris Fashion Week at the Palais de Tokyo, the Parisian art centre.
       The show, which takes place in an exhibition space on the ground floor of the arts center, was a three-foot-tall, roughly one-meter-wide metal scaffolding system that served as a runway.
       Prior to the start of the exhibition, the interior of the exhibition space was filled with low-hanging smoke that covered the floor and flooded the foot of the industrial runway overpass, meandering between the exposed concrete columns and walls of the Palais de Tokyo.
       Single rows of seats, also constructed from the same perforated metal panels used to create the raised center section, frame the industrial metal runway and are designed for performers and spectators.
       The use of industrial and architectural materials complements the rough and brutal interior of Tokyo Palace, which was renovated in 2012 by French architecture studio Lacaton & Vassal.
       The architectural silhouettes that have become synonymous with the brand have taken on a Victorian vibe that, Owens explains, reflects the rawness of online judgment.
       “The collection was all about simplistic architectural forms with a hint of the pseudo-mysticism of 70s kitsch,” Rick Owens said in his notes on the exhibition.
       ”Pointed shoulders and a high, narrow waist that flares out to the ankles create an almost Victorian silhouette that reflects the austerity we see in our current online assessment.”
       Recycled pyraloku leather is dyed jet black through a low-impact tanning process and is used to cover the large jackets throughout the collection.
        Arapaima, found in the Amazon and Essequibo in South America, is the largest freshwater fish in the world and can reach three meters in length. Owens buys leather from the indigenous people of Brazil.
        The donut shape evolved into a wearable blanket embroidered with black sequins, as Owens put it. Vogue says puffer jackets are “wearable padding” that models can slip themselves into.
        “This is me trying to reduce clothes to their simplest form,” Owens told Vogue. “These are literally fluffy donuts. They’re like a clothes fogger – silly, but very simple,” Owens told Vogue.
        The bomber jacket is made from recycled polyamide, certified to global recycling standards, and dyed using a technology that allows natural pigments to be applied to synthetic fibers. The black jacket was dyed with bamboo charcoal, and the green jacket was dyed with olive waste.
       In 2018, Owens lit a bonfire in the Tokyo Palace Dry Fountain for a Spring/Summer 2019 womenswear show inspired by two imaginary buildings – the Tower of Babel and architect Vladimir Tatlin’s constructivist model of Russian architecture.
       More recently, Rick Owens designed a one-piece modular sofa system for the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, made from plywood and covered with a French army wool blanket.
        Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Every Thursday we send out a selection of the best reader comments and most talked about stories. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
        Published every Tuesday with a selection of the most important news. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
        Daily updates of the latest design and architecture jobs posted on Dezeen Jobs. Plus rare news.
        News about our Dezeen Awards program, including application deadlines and announcements. Plus periodic updates.
        News from Dezeen’s events catalog of leading design events around the world. Plus periodic updates.
        We will only use your email address to send you the newsletter you request. We will never share your data with anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email or by sending an email to [email protected].
        Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Every Thursday we send out a selection of the best reader comments and most talked about stories. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
        Published every Tuesday with a selection of the most important news. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and latest news.
        Daily updates of the latest design and architecture jobs posted on Dezeen Jobs. Plus rare news.
        News about our Dezeen Awards program, including application deadlines and announcements. Plus periodic updates.
        News from Dezeen’s events catalog of leading design events around the world. Plus periodic updates.
        We will only use your email address to send you the newsletter you request. We will never share your data with anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email or by sending an email to [email protected].