Rick Owens, a designer who has become one of the most highly-anticipated shows in Paris, presented his latest collection that was inspired by Victorian fashion and the “elaborate modesty” of Queen Victoria’s reign.
The Fall/Winter 2023 collection featured a variety of garments that exuded ladylike grandeur, including cloaks, skirts, parkas, and shearling pieces. Additionally, “donut” padded pieces, designed to be simple and reduce garments to their simplest shape, were also included.
The collection was completed with the addition of denim and cowhide spike shouldered jackets, oversized pirarucu bombers, and a powerful new orthopedic variation of his platform boots, which added to the designer’s signature over-the-top aesthetic.
The central tension of the collection was Owens’ exploration of modesty in a collection that was typically charged with sexuality. Additionally, Owens has a highly autobiographical element in his work, with models like Tyrone Dylan becoming a personification of his idealized youth.
