Last season, Californian designer Rick Owens opened the doors to his Parisian residence for the first time, hosting a select group of 300 guests at three menswear shows, where press, buyers, and friends relaxed in his concrete-themed living room. For Fall/Winter 2024, Owens continues this approach, dedicating his womenswear collection to his modest beginnings in Southern Sierra Nevada. While rooted in common themes, the collection, titled “Porterville” once again, celebrates Rick Owens' 25-year career but also introduces a poignant undertone reflecting family struggles. The “lord of darkness” expands his shadowy universe with oversized silhouettes that softly accentuate the female figure. In contrast to his menswear collection, Owens emphasizes the body’s natural curves with a broad range of ribbed knitwear, wrapping his models in knotted accessories that serve as protective shields. Owens reflects on his upbringing “in a judgmental environment,” as noted in the show program. “In previous interviews, I mentioned that my strict father forbade having a TV in the house, but I downplayed the importance of what he replaced it with — opera,” he explains. “These were stories of pain, yearning, and disappointment, set to rapturous music that sought transcendence from composers like Puccini, Wagner, Purcell, and Strauss... and every evening, he would gently read me Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels.”
