Rick Owens presents the Fall Winter 2022 'Strobe' collection as part of Paris Fashion Week. In one of Owens' strongest recent showings, the 'strobe' collection is an introspective dive into the power structures that be.
Owens has long been drawn to darker subcultural motifs all the while constructing something of an abstract mausoleum to himself, oft inspired by heavy hitting moments of glory in human history. Where this collection departs is the duality between light and dark – introspection and optimism.
There's something of a balance in this collection: chokers, chain bits, and BDSM moments contrast against delicate shredded cashmere sweaters and mauve goat hair. Owens once said in a New York Times interview from 2016 that his collection was, "very cheerful, nihilistic — not nihilistic — cheerfully doomed!" Owens seems interested in cancelling out positive and negative associations and exploring what remains when these extremes collide.
One sweater reads: "SUBHUMAN INHUMAN SUPERHUMAN OWENSCORP" suggesting the transformative processes that Owens seems to be affecting through his fashion. The silhouette Owens has perfected over the past few seasons embodies different energies as it walks in black and white. This leads to the realization this is a collection of contrasts and contradictions: light vs. dark, monolithic vs. modern, order vs. chaos, repetition vs. innovation, mainstream vs. milieu. Yet it leaves one with a sense of optimism for the future...a bright idea even.
Explore the full collection below. Images courtesy of OWENSCORP.
FW22 Collection
