Usually dark and pessimistic Rick Owens’ Spring/Summer 24 collection surprised us with what we least expected: a dose of euphoric optimism.
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The LINO womenswear show started off in classic Owens’ doom: a demonic melody played as obsidian ensembles opened the show, the Palais de Tokyo setting shrouded in artificial fog. But as soon as colorful petals began falling from the sky, we knew something was different. Sure, they were in reference to when Roman Emperor Heliogabalus notoriously suffocated his guests with rose petals (‘I didn’t have enough of them to kill everybody’ said Owens), but an uncharacteristic positiveness was in the apocalyptic fog.
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The distorted song revealed itself to be Diane Ross chanting ‘I still believe in love’, the fragrance from the petals pleasantly lingered, and the fog was in bright shades of pink and yellow. The inspiration behind this change was Bjork: ‘I went to (her) concert and her intelligent, life-affirming energy made me kinda embarrassed of my own mopey adolescent pessimism.’ said the designer.
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That’s not to say that the show wasn’t Owens at its core. The opening looks established a black theme filled with skin-tight silhouettes, long leather skirts, and structural jersey draping that remained a theme throughout. Models wore alien-like black contact lenses and slicked-back hair with micro bras, oversized gloves, and shaded sunglasses. Wastlines were high and hemlines were low, complete with the brand’s signature pointed shoulders.
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But then entered this utopic hope. Pink, burgundy, red, and brown reiterations of the black getups appeared, with delicate wedding trains and capes substituting sheer funeral veils. Then came silk garments billowing in the wind and the ‘donut’ gowns we saw last season– puffball cylinder-shaped mini and midi dresses in toned-down pastels. It’s that same faith we had in the models, watching them brave through stairs and wind in sky-high platforms and orthopedic gladiator sandals.
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It was surprisingly refreshing seeing his usual structural artwork interpolated with more wearable pieces– we can’t remember the last time we saw Owens do cropped leather jackets, and his decision to use lava red is sure to bring in commercial success for the brand.
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In LINO he found a cautious sanguineness, making us see the beauty present on Earth amongst his signature melancholic futurism. There was no better way to show this than by using eco-friendly recycled yarn for getups that were perfect for an ecological apocalypse. The five final looks certainly made us think of doomsday preparation: differently colored hazmat loose jumpsuits covered every inch of skin. From beginning to end, Owens urges us not to ignore the bitter and harsh reality, and yet he inspires us to find the light in the darkness.
Words by Alexia De Las Heras
Header Image by @ssense
