RICK OWENS FW18 WOMENS - SISYPHUS

THIS WOMEN’S FALL/WINTER COLLECTION FOLLOWS THE MEN’S FALL/WINTER COLLECTION IN BEING TITLED SISYPHUS AFTER THE ARROGANT KING IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY WHO WAS PUNISHED BY ZEUS TO REPEATEDLY ROLL A BOULDER UP A HILL ONLY TO HAVE IT ROLL BACK DOWN AGAIN. ETERNALLY. WE MIGHT INTERPRET THIS AS A STORY ABOUT FUTILITY, OR AS A STORY OF PATTERNS MONOTONOUSLY REPEATING THEMSELVES WITHOUT PROGRESSION. FOR THE MEN’S SHOW I WAS FOCUSED ON CYCLES OF CULTURAL BACKPEDALING AND DISAPPOINTING SOCIAL SHIFTS BUT FOR THE WOMEN’S SHOW THE FOCUS IS ON SEDUCTION. CLOTHES ARE COMMUNICATION AND THE MESSAGE IS OFTEN ONE OF SEDUCTION. BUT TOWARDS WHAT RESULTS? IN THE PAST THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS OF ALMOST GROTESQUE PHYSICAL DISTORTION IN THE NAME OF SEDUCTION — PANNIERS, BUSTLES... IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THIS KIND OF DELIBERATELY SLY EXAGGERATION WAS EMBRACED. ALTHOUGH THE BULBOUS BAGS AND BACKPACKS IN MY RECENT COLLECTIONS CAN EASILY READ ‘REFUGEE’, I HAVE PRINCIPALLY DEPLOYED THEM AS EXCUSES TO CREATE CREDIBLE VOLUMES ON THE BODY. PADDING HERE ISN’T NECESSARILY ABOUT PROTECTION, BUT ABOUT VOLUPTUOUSNESS AND A CRUDE SUMPTUOUSNESS. TUNICS IN CAMEL HAIR AND LINEN FELT ARE PACKED WITH GOOSE DOWN TO SWADDLE AND ENVELOP THE BODY IN UNEVEN INDENTATIONS AND EXTENSIONS TO ABSTRACT THE FIGURE. COLORS ARE MUTED AND BLEAK. COATS, MANTLES, AND MEGAPARKAS ARE WORN OVER CASHMERE RUNNING SHORTS PAIRED WITH GENERIC LOOKING TRACK SHOES OVERSIZED WORK SHIRTS, CARGOCHAPS, AND SHOES ARE CONSTRUCTED IN A SYNTHETIC