Abstract
- Rick Owens Spring/Summer season 2026 present at Paris Trend Week served as a visceral, theatrical preview to his “Temple of Love” retrospective now open on the Musée Palais Galliera
- Breaking runway conventions, fashions walked an elevated catwalk over the Palais de Tokyo’s fountain
- Owens’ signature mix of “European sophistication by means of American bluntness,” with designs showcasing uncovered flesh in black leather-based, studded straps, slashed Tuscan leathers, voluminous flight jackets, and “Burrito Sneaks” have been showcased this season
Rick Owens, vogue’s undisputed excessive priest of brutalist magnificence, delivered a Spring/Summer season 2026 present throughout Paris Trend Week that was way over a mere presentation; it was a visceral, theatrical prelude to his extremely anticipated retrospective exhibit, aptly titled “Temple of Love.” Staged at his iconic hang-out, the Palais de Tokyo, the present remodeled the house right into a dynamic, interactive testomony to his enduring imaginative and prescient.
Breaking from standard runway setups, Owens orchestrated an all-standing affair, with friends gathered intimately across the colossal fountain on the coronary heart of the Palais. This unorthodox association instantly set a tone of collective anticipation. Because the present started, fashions emerged onto an elevated construction, forming a catwalk suspended above the tranquil waters. Their procession throughout this dramatic stage was a testomony to Owens’ mastery of stress and motion.
The true spectacle, nonetheless, unfolded because the fashions started to descend instantly into the fountain itself. Some paused, taking a deliberate dip within the cool water, permitting their clothes to momentarily cling to their types earlier than they emerged, dripping, to proceed their stroll. This audacious act of baptism by water was not only a visible flourish; it served as a robust metaphor. It urged a cleaning, a rebirth, and a defiant embrace of vulnerability – themes deeply embedded in Owens’ work. The water-soaked cloth clinging to the fashions highlighted the uncooked, nearly sculptural high quality of his designs, emphasizing the interaction between garment and physique in a primal manner.
This daring show acted as a direct, dwelling preview of the “Temple of Love” retrospective. It underscored Owens’ constant skill to merge efficiency artwork with vogue, utilizing his reveals as profound statements that discover themes of rebirth, resilience, and an nearly sacred embrace of the human kind in all its superb imperfection. Embracing themes of finality, Owens’ designs embody a “European aesthetic sophistication by means of an American bluntness,” showcased by uncovered flesh in black leather-based gaps. Studded straps, recalling neoclassical nymphs, adorn items alongside heavyweight Tuscan leathers which might be slashed and fringed. Voluminous flight jackets and parkas, crafted from sustainable Italian nylon or silk taffeta, pair with “Burrito Sneaks.” Collaborations embody jackets impressed by New York punk band Suicide and reissued knits from 2002 by Terry-Ann Frencken, marking a deeply private and highly effective assortment.
Rick Owens’ retrospective is now open on the Musée Palais Galliera.
