Beginner's Guide to Rick Owens
How Rick Owens transformed an atelier on Hollywood Blvd into a global fashion house based in Paris.
History of Rick Owens
Rick Owens in the 1990s
Renowned for his asymmetrical shapes and form, Rick Owens began his fashion career in the early ’90s in an atelier on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Owens was soon hired by Michèle Lamy, who would go on to become his wife and muse, as a pattern maker for her LA-based design company. It would prove a formative experience. In 1994, Owens launched his eponymous label, selling his own pieces and those created for Lamy to pioneering cult boutique, Charles Gallay.
As Owens’ star grew, he was introduced to stylist and costume designer Arianne Phillips, who dressed clients such as Madonna in his clothing. In 2001, Owens signed with Eo Bocci Associati for worldwide distribution, moving production to Italy in the process.
Rick Owens in the 2000s
Despite a preference for presentations, Rick Owens’ debut runway show took place in New York City during the Fall/Winter 2002 season. The event was sponsored by Vogue and Anna Wintour, who became aware of Owens after Kate Moss was photographed for the magazine’s Paris edition wearing one of his signature leather biker jackets.
Titled ‘Sparrows,’ the show provided an early insight into the “Glunge” (a portmanteau of “glamor” and “grunge”) aesthetic that would become synonymous with Owens’ career. Stylist Panos Yiapanis assisted in the production and remains a creative partner of Owens today.
Following his second runway show, the Rick Owens studio moved to Paris. Speaking to WWD, he said, “If I had stayed in New York doing runway shows, I suspect I might have become a little marginalized for being the fashion week weirdo in New York, or I would have subtly been encouraged to do more streamlined American clothes.”
Establishing the Owenscorp fashion company and introducing menswear in 2004, Owens previewed a preliminary attempt at a sneaker as part of his FW05 ‘Moog’ collection. The fully realized silhouette was rolled out as part of the following year’s FW06 ‘Dustulator’ collection, garnering headlines for how the design was, in his words, a "parody combining PUMA, Nike and adidas motifs."
Colloquially referred to as the “Dunk” because of its similarities to the iconic Nike silhouette, Owens eventually received a cease and desist from Nike, leading to a refreshed design with a triangular shape known as the Geobasket.
In 2005, Owens made his first foray into furniture with a collection inspired by his favorite shapes, from the works of Eileen Gray and Brâncuși to California skateparks.
Throughout his career, Owens has demonstrated his unique sense of humor by transferring his body to sculpture. An imposing waxwork depicting his likeness found a home at the label’s Paris flagship, while the Hong Kong store features a table-and-chairs setup based on life-sized models of Owens.
Rick Owens in the 2010s
As the 2010s rolled around, the by-now critically acclaimed Rick Owens brand was beginning to percolate into the mainstream.
As hip-hop began to reject gender-normative dressing in favor of a more experimental aesthetic, designers such as Owens and Riccardo Tisci took on an unprecedented prominence in menswear. A$AP Rocky, in particular, became a muse for Owens and Lamy, rapping about how “Raf Simons, Rick Owens usually what I’m dressed in” on the 2011 track “Peso.” Partly off the success of the song, elongated tees, drop-crotch pants and high-tops became key components of Rocky and the A$AP Mob’s street-goth uniform.
In 2013, Owens introduced the Chuck Taylor-inspired Ramones sneaker, which would go on to become one of his most iconic and widely imitated silhouettes.
In 2014, adidas creative director Dirk Schönberger welcomed Owens into the adidas family, joining other high-profile collaborators including Raf Simons, Pharrell Williams and Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3. Focused on athletic footwear, Owens helped bring experimental adidas technologies such as Springblade back into the public consciousness. Other notable models released during the four-year partnership include the Runner, Tech Runner and Superstar Boot.
During this period, Owens continued to court notoriety with his explosive runway shows, most notably with his SS14 collection. Owens enlisted 40 step dancers of all body types as a riposte to the industry’s unrealistic beauty standards. For the same season, the men’s collection saw Estonian metal band Winny Puhh perform a live set hung from the ceiling and dressed in wrestling costumes.
Rick Owens Today
Today, Owens remains one of fashion’s most influential forces, lending his iconoclastic design vocabulary to an ever-expanding number of collaborators.
Footwear brands such as Converse, Veja, Birkenstock and Dr. Martens have all enlisted the designer’s inimitable aesthetic, while Italian outerwear icon Moncler teamed up with Owens for a range of voluminous, luxury leisurewear as part of its Genius project.
In 2021, Owens revealed a small collection with Australian skincare/beauty brand Aesop, including candles, a travel kit and an eau de toilette named “Stoic.”
Sustainability at Rick Owens
The official Rick Owens website states that as a company it is working towards improving sustainability practices each season, acknowledging that it still has some way to go. Efforts to increase sustainability include partnerships with Veja and a capsule collection with Venetian designer Swampgod, featuring styles made entirely of upcycled materials.
Rick Owens Sub-Brands
Aside from the main line, Owenscorp oversees various sub-brands. Below, an overview of the most notable.
DRKSHDW
DRKSHDW is the most well-known Rick Owens sub-brand. Founded in 2005, it began as a denim line before incorporating more streetwear-oriented pieces.
Lilies
Lilies is a womenswear sub-brand that imbues the typical Owens design language with a minimalist sensibility.
Slab
Now defunct, Slab was an early ’00s denim line that was replaced by DRKSHDW.
Rick Owens Apparel
Since its inception, the Rick Owens product catalog has come to span conceptual and accessible styles. Typically associated with “dark fashion,” Owens’ label has remained true to its experimental ethos and monochromatic provenance while developing softer, multi-hued color palettes. Owens’ wry sense of humor has become more tangible throughout the years, informing ironic creations such as pentagram-adorned underwear.
Signature styles associated with Owens are leather biker jackets, oversized and asymmetrical T-shirts, drop-crotch pants and abnormally proportioned sneakers. Such pieces stand in contrast to the more directional creations showcased on the runway.
Rick Owens Sneakers + Collaborations
Rick Owens’ collaborative partners have grown throughout the years. Below, some of the most notable projects.
Rick Owens x Dr. Martens
Rick Owens and Dr. Martens’ creative collaboration sees the designer reinvent heritage styles as architectural shapes with avant-garde lacing components. In 2024, Owens became the first designer to work with Dr Martens’ boundary-pushing 14XX platform, applying his sculptural sensibility to a set of foreboding boots engineered with the British label’s new DMXL sole.
Rick Owens x Converse
“When I see something ubiquitous, I feel like I want to distort it. That’s one of the greatest appeals of the Chuck Taylor All Star.” In 2021, Rick Owens invited Converse into his outsider universe through the DRKSHDW line, reworking the Chuck 70 with an elongated tongue and squared-off toe. The partnership steadily evolved throughout 2023 with four separate projects, including the TURBOWPN and DRKSHDW DBL DRKSTAR Chuck 70.
Rick Owens x Birkenstock
An early entry in Rick Owens’ Birkenstock collaboration saw the designer reinvent the Arizona, Madrid and Boston sandals in wool felt, suede, natural leather and cowhide, bringing a fresh perspective to the storied German brand. As a health and fitness obsessive, Owens said he connected with Birkenstock’s posture-enhancing properties, admitting he didn’t want to fundamentally alter the heritage silhouettes as they were already functionally sound.
Rick Owens x Veja
Minimalist sneaker brand Veja might ostensibly make an odd bedfellow for Rick Owens, but the designer was led to the Parisian label after “looking around for the most responsible sneaker company I could find.” Taking on silhouettes like the Marlin, Owens brought his unencumbered creativity to the collaboration, introducing his unique aesthetic while maintaining Veja’s planet-friendly materials.
Rick Owens x adidas
Rick Owens joined the adidas family for a four-year run during Dirk Schoenberger’s collaborative tear in the mid-2000s. Mixing minimalism and maximalism with an onus on the futuristic, highlights included the Rick Owens Runner, Level Sock Runner and the Springblade. Today, the cutting-edge partnership is cited as one of the most influential of the era, forever altering the relationship between sportswear brands and luxury designers.
Recent Seasonal Highlights
FW22 Shoulder Pads
Exaggerated, sloping shoulder pads were a hallmark of Rick Owens FW22 women’s ready-to-wear. The collection combined ’30s-inspired, sculptural dresses with disproportionate puffers and bomber jackets.
SS23 Men’s Metallics
Inspired by a trip to Egypt, Rick Owens SS23 men’s combined monochromatic and metallic color palettes. The show was notable for a baggy update of the platform boot.
FW24 Balloon Boots
Rick Owens opened up the doors of his Paris maison for FW24, moving away from his usual location at Palais de Tokyo. The attention-grabbing moment came in the form of inflated balloon boots in collaboration with London designer Straytukay, flanked by seasonless Owens staples like puffer jackets and ribbed, oversized knitwear.
How to Style Rick Owens
Once associated with outlier fashion, the Rick Owens label encompasses a number of styles that have become synonymous with streetwear aesthetics while retaining a luxury feel. The Ramones sneaker, in particular, is a silhouette that can be worn with a number of looks, with laces tied normally or wrapped around the collar.
Brands Similar to Rick Owens
Historically associated with avant-garde designers such as Carol Christian Poell, Damir Doma, Veronique Branquinho and Ann Demeulemeester, as the Rick Owens brand has grown, the designer’s singular, experimental vision and dedication to quality craftsmanship has been compared to TAKAHIROMIYASHITA TheSoloist, UNDERCOVER, Haider Ackermann, Helmut Lang and Yohji Yamamoto.
Rick Owens FAQ
Who is the creative director of Rick Owens?
There is no official creative director at Rick Owens, with Owens himself overseeing the design operation.
When did Rick Owens start?
Rick Owens started his eponymous fashion brand in 1994 in Los Angeles.
Who started Rick Owens?
American designer Rick Owens started his eponymous brand with the support of Michèle Lamy and Charles Gallay, owner of the Charles Gallay boutique in Los Angeles.
Where to buy Rick Owens?
You can buy Rick Owens on GOAT. Explore a curated collection of items here.
How to tell if Rick Owens is fake?
GOAT uses machine-learning technology, digital authentication, in-hand verification or a combination of these methods to determine if Rick Owens items are fake or real. By doing so, we seek to ensure the Rick Owens pieces you purchase are both authentic and as described.