Biography:
Rick Owens is the avante-garde American designer who revolutionised the leather jacket and has inspired limitless copy-cat versions since his career began in the late 90s.
Born and raised in Porterville, California, Owens studied fine arts in Los Angeles for two years before dropping out. After this he went on to work for some local LA based clothing companies, before beginning his own label in 1994.
The Rick Owens leather jacket: Making of an icon.
Turning the leather jacket from what was traditionally either a very boxy cut or blazer styled jacket for men, Rick Owens perfected the form-fitting, ‘second skin’ leather jacket, its structure and architecture based on the natural form of the human body. These jackets looked effortlessly cool, but had none of the military, racing or tailoring inspired styling that leather jackets men had been familiar with in the past normally had.
After being championed by Anna Wintour of Vogue magazine, perhaps inevitably Rick Owens hit the international fashion scene, showing his first show at fashion week in New York, 2001. Today, and now Paris based, his men’s washed leather jackets are copied by designers and brands throughout the world, but you will struggle to find better than the original versions produced by the designer.
To achieve his signature crinkled and ‘lived in’ look, the leather used in Rick Owens’ jackets undergoes several specialist treatments including vegetable tanning and washing in Italy.
People who buy one Rick Owens leather jacket rarely stop at one, and indeed tend to become avid collectors – each season’s new collection brings subtle differences and variations on those that have gone before. The designer himself admits his now iconic leather jackets have not changed much since he first started designing them almost 15 years ago in LA.
Fans of the Rick Owens leather jacket cross generations, as, although the menswear (and in particular his fashion shows) is often described as ‘gothic’, the jackets can actually be worn by any man, no matter his age or style – and look equally as impressive with jeans and trainers as they do with a more dressed-up, evening look.
Fit of Rick Owens’ jackets
Sizing currently runs from XS to XL.
Sizing is slim fit, although you can buy your normal size.
Price range for Rick Owens leather jackets
Expect to pay between £1500 for the classic leather models and £4000 for the more intricate or ornate versions.
Production is always limited.
