RICK OWENS FW19 WOMENS - LARRY

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06/23/20

FW19 LARRY — NAMED FOR LARRY LEGASPI WHOM I HAVE JUST FINISHED A BOOK ON, BEING RELEASED IN OCTOBER WHEN THIS COLLECTION WILL BE IN STORES. LARRY WAS THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SILVER AND BLACK SPACE-SLEAZE LOOKS OF LABELLE AND KISS IN THE SEVENTIES. HE INTRODUCED A CAMP FEROCITY TO THE MAINSTREAM AND HELPED SET A LOT OF KIDS LIKE ME FREE, WITH HIS MIX OF ART DECO SEXUAL AMBIGUITY AND RAW, BLACK LEATHER BOMBAST. THERE WAS A SWEATY ELEGANCE TO HIS VISION THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME.

LARRY’S LIGHTNING BOLT MOTIF WHICH TRACED THE THIGHS OF KISS GUITARIST ACE FREHLEY’S ORIGINAL JUMPSUIT IS USED AS A CHARM DANGLING FROM BAGS, POUCHES, AND DUFFLES LONG ENOUGH TO BE WORN AS LEATHER CAPES.

A BLACK AND SILVER DEGRADE PRINT IS FEATURED ON DUVET COATS, SCARVES, AND LEATHER JUMPSUITS — A NARROW ELASTIC-WAISTED VERSION OF MY REGULAR JUMBO BODYBAG. WE ALSO PRESENT THE DEGRADE PRINT IN BLEACHED FUCHSIA DENIM.

SNAP CROTCH MAILLOTS IN THIN COTTON RIB OR STRETCH LEATHER ARE WORN IN LAYERS OR UNFASTENED OVER TANK TOPS — SEX CONFRONTATION INSTEAD OF SEXY COYNESS. THEY ARE WORN ALONE, OR OVER SLIT FRONT NARROW CASHMERE KNIT SKIRTS. KNIT DRESSES ARE SLIT, FLANGED, AND TORQUED TO TWIST AND DRAPE AROUND THE BODY. COLLECTION COLORS ARE IN WARM TONES OF SOFT GREY, CHERRY RED, BLONDE, FUCHSIA, AND MAHOGANY.

THE BODY IS STRETCHED OUT BY PLATFORM BOOTS ON ONE END AND A HIGH, SHARP SHOULDER ON THE OTHER. MORE NOSTALGIC THAN I USUALLY GO FOR, BUT THIS 1970S VIBE REMINDS ME OF AN ERA THRILLED WITH POTENTIAL LIBERATION AS OPPOSED TO OUR CURRENT ONE THAT SOMETIMES FEELS SULLENLY ENTITLED...

CASHMERE COATS ARE SPLICED WITH RAW SILVER FUR COWHIDE AND PATCHED WITH SOFT PADDED NYLON CARGO POCKETS. THEY ARE CUT WITH A BAUHAUS SHOULDER THAT COMES FROM THE MOVIE METROPOLIS — A 1930S FUTURISTIC EPIC REFERENCED BY LARRY IN HIS WORK, AS WELL AS IN MINE. I HAVE ALSO KNOCKED OFF A CHARLES JAMES COCOON COAT AND REINTERPRETED IT IN RAW-SEAMED SHEARLING, NUTRIA, AND DUVET.

LARRY ADMIRED JAMES AND SHARED MODELS IN 1970S N.Y. WITH HIM... I JUST WROTE THE INTRO TO A NEW CHARLES JAMES BOOK OUT IN MARCH — CHARLES JAMES, THE COUTURE SECRETS OF SHAPE — THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CHARLES JAMES BOOK I HAVE EVER READ, WITH ALL NEW IMAGERY AND INFORMATION CONTRIBUTED BY HOMER LAYNE, JAMES’ LONG TIME ASSISTANT. I HAVE MOUNTED AN EXHIBITION OPENING AFTER THIS SHOW.

I HAVE ALWAYS CITED MARIANO FORTUNY AS AN INFLUENCE AND ALWAYS DELIGHT IN PASSING THE ORIGINAL FORTUNY FACTORY ON GIUDECCA WHEN I TAKE THE FERRY TO MY SUMMER STUDIO ON THE VENICE LIDO. FORTUNY ALLOWED ME TO PULL PRINTS FROM THEIR ARCHIVES AND THEY EXCLUSIVELY PRINTED MY SIGNATURE ANGORA VISCOSE JERSEY WITH THEM, WHICH I HAVE DRAPED IN ROPES OF FABRIC ECHOING THE WAY THE ORIGINAL PLEATED SILK FORTUNY DRESSES WERE STORED.

WE’VE REISSUED OUR SHIELD SUNGLASSES IN RED AND YELLOW, AND I’VE KNOCKED OFF MY CHEAP GIFT SHOP SNOWBOARDER SUNGLASSES THAT I HAD FITTED WITH MY READING PRESCRIPTION... AND TURNED THEM BACK INTO SUNGLASSES...

MAKEUP IS DESIGNED BY SALVIA, A LEADER IN PUSHING THE BODY MODIFICATION AESTHETIC WHICH HAS REPLACED TATTOOS FOR THIS GENERATION. THIS IS OUR NEW DIAMOND DOGS GLAMOUR.

MUSIC IS AN EXTENDED REMIX OF ‘INFINITE’ BY LAVASCAR — MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE MICHELE LAMY’S BAND WITH NICO VASCELLARI, AND HER DAUGHTER, SCARLETT ROUGE
(LAMY/VASCELLARI/SCARLETT), PRODUCED BY ROCCO RAMPINO.
IN THIS SONG, MICHELE RECITES WORDS BY ETEL ADNAN, THE LEBANESE/AMERICAN POET.