RICK OWENS PHLEGETHON SS21 WOMENS (LIVESTREAM)

I SPEND MY SUMMERS ON VENICE’S LIDO, THE SITE OF THOMAS MANN’S NOVELLA DEATH IN VENICE. THE MAIN CHARACTER, A WRITER ASCETICALLY DEVOTED TO HIS CRAFT, DEVELOPS AN OBSESSION WITH A YOUTH AND ENDS UP DYING ON THE BEACH FROM CHOLERA DURING AN EPIDEMIC WITH DESPERATELY AGE-DEFYING HAIR DYE RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE IN THE HOT SUN. THE WORD ‘QUARANTINE’ ORIGINATED FROM THIS AREA’S MEDIEVAL RESPONSE TO THE BUBONIC PLAGUE. THIS WOMEN’S RUNWAY SHOW IS PRESENTED IN THE PIAZZA IN FRONT OF THE LIDO CASINO — A MONUMENTAL 1930S RATIONALIST PALAZZO THAT I WALK BY AND WORSHIP EVERY DAY ON MY WAY TO THE BEACH. DOING A DIGITAL SHOW WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE HERE, WITH MY INTIMATE ITALIAN DESIGN ROOM CREW FROM OUR FACTORY 2 HOURS AWAY, FEELS COZY AND TRUTHFUL AND SPECTACULAR ALL AT ONCE MY LAST FALL RUNWAY SHOULDER-FREAK-OUT WASN’T ABOUT POWER, IT WAS ABOUT DEFIANCE — DEFIANCE IN THE FACE OF THREAT. BLACK GRAIN DE POUDRE TAILORING IS OVERSIZED WITH SLEEVES RIPPED OFF OF HULKING SHOULDERS... STRAPS ALLOW THE WEARER TO STRIP JKTS OFF AND CINCH AROUND WAISTS AS A BEACH BUSTLE... AND SATIN RIB WAISTED BOMBERS HAVE SHOULDERS THAT ARE AN EXAGGERATED MIDDLE FINGER TO DOOM. I JUST MIGHT BE LEANING INTO A TASTE FOR THE LURID THAT AN UNDERCURRENT OF THREAT AND DREAD CAN INSPIRE. BUBBLEGUM PINK AND ALARM RED THIGH HIGH BOOTS AND LEATHER MICRO- SHORT CUTOFFS ADD A GARISH NOTE, BUT THESE MICRO-SHORTS CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO WAIST DEFINING BELTS WITH HANDY POCKETS THAT CAN BE WORN OVER SIMPLE JERSEY SHIFTS.