Rick Owens SS26 men’s36 Images
Last night, as Paris Fashion Week day two came to a close, the heavens opened. Stirred up by the boiling hot weather the French capital has been enduring for the last few days, a biblical thunderstorm erupted, sending guests running for cover at Acne Studios’ new gallery opening, leaving Alex Consani in danger of being struck by lightning at AMI, and encouraging legendary editor Carine Roitfeld to take a swim in the murky flood waters that flowed thigh-deep down the typically uber-chic Avenue Montaigne (no doubt still in her signature stilettos).
It felt timely, then, that by the time everyone had dried off and headed to Rick Owens SS26 show, they found that the designer had opted to send his models wading out through the fountains of the Palais De Tokyo. Ticket lost in the post? Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know.
Conversations usually go pretty much the same between guests at Rick’s runway shows: somehow, despite the fact he presents in the exact same area twice a year, he always manages to do something spectacular and new. Spring/Summer dragged us all back outside, but where his last women’s show in September 2024 meant braving the torrential downpours that plagued Paris for ten days, this time around it meant 30 degree heat, high AF humidity, and a lot of sweat-drenched kisses as everyone piled into the Palais De Tokyo.
As ever, the show took place around the massive pool on the Palais’ terrace, with a big scaffolded structure erected in front of its iconic stone steps. After he lit a massive funeral pyre for SS19, set his big balls on fire for SS23, and flooded the space with coloured smoke for SS24, guests got to whispering about what was going to come next, with many suggesting the models would jump into the water. Under the impression fashion’s full of clueless bimbos? Think again: nothing gets past us.
Have you ever seen that movie Waterworld? In a nutshell, it’s all about climate change and an apocalyptic disaster which sees the world submerged almost completely in water, with those that managed not to drown forced to sail endlessly across the globe looking for refuge. The show felt a bit like that, with Rick’s right-hand man, lead designer, and opening model Tyrone Dylan clambering up the centrepiece sculpture in a pair of vertiginous kiss boots, hanging off it and staring out into the distance.
More models followed, carefully making their way down the ladders and into the pool, where they waded through the water before returning up the frame, their looks drenched and dripping as they assembled themselves up and down the rungs, like The Lost Boys scene when they all cling on to the bridge as the train steams past overheard. It felt dangerous and exciting, and Lord knows we needed some of that this menswear season.
Beyond the apocalyptic vibes, the show was dubbed Temple, which related to his close-by exhibition Temple of Love – “You know we need some love in the world right now” he explained post-show. Fashion has largely been sending out escapist collections this season, which is pretty jarring when you consider what’s going on. Trust Rick to actually say what we’re all thinking.
Since landing in Paris at the turn of the millennium, Rick’s been carving out a niche that clashes Parisian chicness with Hollywood sleaze, which is where his first store flung open its doors and he started peddling his leather jackets and distressed denim before the city of light summoned him. This time, sleaze won out when it came to the standout harnesses loads of his boys wore. Paired with dramatic flared trousers, fringed jackets, and longline waistcoats came a bunch of rigged looks that flashed the flesh underneath. No longer relegated to Berghain’s Laboratory, Rick wants you out and proud in the midday sun trussed up in a harness, and who are you to argue?
First up this season was a collaboration with NY punk legends Suicide, whose trashed denim and leather inspired a series of looks, while Rick got a little sentimental when he linked up with Totalkoster cashmere designer Terry-Ann Fricken on a bunch of knitted pieces. Fricken was Rick’s first fit model way back in 2002, so he got her to reconstruct some of those early looks and sent them into the depths.
By now you’ll have surely seen the massive statue of Rick pissing that takes centre stage in a new retrospective, Temple of Love, celebrating his two decades in the game. The designer explained post-show that he found the fact he’d reached the point that a retrospective was feasible totally hilarious, and that it got him to thinking about his downfall and demise. Rick’s a bit of an anomaly in the fashion game, since most of fashion’s biggest players are terrified of losing relevance and falling out of the spotlight. Instead, it’s something he really wanted to lean into, and he has in fact always been up for a new-gen designer rising up and snatching his crown. Instead, it’s this lack of ego, proclivity for collaboration, and celebration of those around him – his support and interest in those coming up behind him – that means his crown is actually never going to be taken from him. On this demise he spoke of? Long live King Rick.
Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page for all our backstage images of the collection
