What in the world is going on here? Every year, Rick Owens’ Paris Fashion Week presentation takes style to the next level with a crazy runway show. Last year, the designer showcased men’s penises in playful ensembles, but Owens’ Oct. 1 show was less in your face with inspiration from the mythical Greek figure Cyclops.
While models strutted on the catwalk in neutral pieces worthy of a Kanye West collection — including sheer bomber jackets, sturdy sandals, sheer tunics, and tops with bunched fabric, the fun was only beginning. What really made audience members’ jaws drop were the accessories — human accessories. Walking with other women strapped onto their backs and fronts in interesting configurations, models created a bizarrely moving atmosphere.
Owens had a more artistic reason for the presentation: He felt inspired by the bonds between women. “I see (my vision for the collection) being more about nourishment, sisterhood/motherhood… Women raising women, women becoming women, and women supporting women,” Owens said in a statement. “Straps can be about restraint, but here they are all about support and cradling. Straps here become loving ribbons.”