Rick Owens AW14

Initial reaction:

If the invitation — a leather slab, which some might say could double as an S&M paddle — was any indication, then this season was about severity, authority or as the collection was called: défilé.

Quote of the show:

“I think all men want to project a certain amount of authority in the way that they dress. Défilé means parade, a military thing. I was thinking about how a young man reacts to authority, the way he is hard-wired to reject it in order to move forward and create his own authority. I remember rejecting authority and I remember how urgent that was – school! Cops! Teachers! Parents! Everything. A lot of what I do is a memory of that reaction. A man who’s interested in dressing, is interested in expressing himself. And part of that is rejecting standards” Rick Owens

Silhouettes:

A continuation of his iconic silhouette (almost nun habit-like in its minimalism), but this season with far more severity. Silver zips dissected the torso, thick strap detailing – culminating in a complex strait jacket of straps, ties and fur – hinted at dominance, and dark sexual games. Voluminous stiff ‘scarves’ tied at the neck like a bow, fanning out behind the head, felt threatening and suggestive.

How they wore it:

Leather metallic straps on the wrists may have looked like handcuffs, but instead seemed in reverse to authority, like they were worn with pride, and a symbol of membership to some kind of cult. Knee high tough leather boots with heavy marching soles emphasised the défilé title of the collection.

Soundtrack:

An intense and abrasive onslaught – but did you expect anything else? For the finale, the boys marched as one army, all in black, to RP Boo “Off Da Hook.”