RICK OWENS

Fashion's very own 'goth-father', the 'Prince of darkness'... the controversial Rick Owens has been given many names. The 56-year-old Californian began his career somewhat later in life. After studying painting and sculpture art at Otis College of Arts & Design in Los Angeles, he started working and met his future wife and muse, Michèle Lamy. His self-named brand was created in 1994 and was sold exclusively at the very selective boutique, Charles Gallay. It caught Anna Wintour's eye after Kate Moss wore a Rick Owens jacket in an issue of Vogue Paris, and he was approached to present his first New York Fashion Week show in 2002. The same year, he won the Emerging Talent Award from the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), followed by the 2007 Cooper-Hewitt Design Award and the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Now a bonafide Parisian, Rick Owens embodies the '90s anti-fashion movement. The designer contends trends and adopts a radical alternative view of fashion. Among his signature pieces are distressed leather jackets, asymmetrical cardigans and dresses, raw hem drop-crotch trousers and extra long-sleeved jackets, creating a grungy sportswear look. His fashion shows are the chance to present his bold approach and moral metaphors, channelled through his cutting-edge collections that either shock, offend, or garner admiration, but certainly create a buzz.