RICK OWENS - TEMPLE - A REVIEW
At about 4 pm today, Rick Owens debuted his SS26 season, and after watching it, I felt it was of the utmost importance that I write down some thoughts about it.
While almost all that Rick puts out (minus that one Veja collaboration) seems to be well thought out and carry some sort of abstract deeper meaning to it, this one seemed eerie. When I sat down and pressed play and saw Tyrone, who is the first model on almost all of Rick's shows, I noticed a large structure made of steel beams in the center of a pool of water. The structure vaguely resembled a silo of sorts, with a square midsection and a cylinder top, below a pointed cone.
The show continued, and as the camera flipped from different points in the colosseum, I noticed something strange: the models were entering the pool of water. Sure enough, as the camera continued to pan and all of the looks had entered the colosseum, each model was subject to knee-deep water, and as they passed the far middle of the pool, they each ducked below the water, submerging their whole body. I was confused, to say the least, considering some of the models were wearing looks that mostly consisted of leather and denim.
Once each model had completed their route inside the pool, each one took their respective spots on the large metal structure, some of them contorting their bodies around the cold steel poles, and as each model took their place, the metal structure began to look less like a bunch of people and more like a distorted mass of flesh curled around a metal structure, all while eerie piano music played in reverse. It was truly surreal.
This wouldn’t be the first time that structures have been used in Rick’s shows, however. Just a few seasons ago, in SS25, we would see the use of structures to carry models and extras down the runway.
My guess is that, like many things Rick presents on the runway, he wanted to use abstract structures as a recurring theme that was a bit more outside the realm of clothing.
We have items of clothing like the Geobasket, the Kiss heel, and Rick’s leather jacket undergo a similar process, with small things changing about the shape and presentation of these items season to season, but over time the concept of these items ends up shifting dramatically when you look back. (possibly a symbol for modern couture/working out?)
according to multiple sources, this show was supposed to be a representation as a celebration Rick’s life, and the name of the show TEMPLE was supposed to be a reference to the exabit being held at The Palais Galleria in Paris, named “TEMPLE OF LOVE”.
The Palais Galleria’s website describes it as, “The first exhibition in Paris dedicated to the work of avant-garde fashion designer Rick Owens. It features collections from his early beginnings in Los Angeles through to his most recent. With a fascination for spiritual ritual, his creations draw on a wide range of references, from Joris-Karl Huysmans to modern and contemporary art”
The vibe was quenchable, to say the least. You could kind of get what Rick was going for, and I would say that I would wear anything that was in this show, but my bank account would not concur.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite looks.
