Paris – Rick Owens once again exceeded expectations on Thursday, captivating hundreds of onlookers with a massive outdoor performance that included a phalanx of spooky, arrogant shadows dressed in his trademark white monotone.
The smoke dissipated. An first group of people wearing hooded jumpsuits and with space-age shoulders made their way down the grand stone stairs of the Palais de Tokyo promenade. One is immediately transported to science fiction and Hollywood by these twelve silken boiler suits that billowed in the wind while standing on the designer’s trademark platform boots.
The voyage was completed with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which has grown to be one of the greatest anthems in movie history, roaring out on the soundtrack as far as the Eiffel Tower. After leaving his conservative small-town background in California in the 1970s, the young designer found himself on the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” which inspired the name of Rick Owens’ spring/summer 2025 collection. Owens has been headquartered in Paris for several decades.
There were allusions to the silent film era, with white faces and eerie, ageless eyes reminiscent of Fritz Lang’s iconic film “Metropolis,” released in 1927. White denim styles were complemented with golden halos, which went wonderfully with the Art Deco 1920s Hollywood theme. Over gowns made of white satin that flowed like a veil and were intended for both men and women, leather motorcycle jackets with hoods were worn.
Owens stated in a statement that he intended to invite “everybody” this time, including students, up-and-coming designers, friends from 25 years ago, and members of the trans community. He had previously displayed his previous two seasons to a small group of people at his Paris residence. His team acknowledged that with this show, the small independent house—which is frequently praised for its edge—had aimed to make a statement. The audience erupted in cheers at the conclusion as a sort of raft pulled by bearers with female gymnasts forming the mast arrived. It was covered with a pirate flag with a white hand holding a black one.
