RICK OWENS SS20 MENS - TECUATL

NAMED AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER’S MIXTEC MAIDEN NAME. I’VE BEEN MOTIVATED TO EXPLORE MY PERSONAL MEXICANNESS AS A REACTION TO THE U.S. PRESIDENT’S FIXATION ON A BORDER WALL.

COLLAB WITH UNITED FARM WORKERS ASSOCIATION... I WAS RAISED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BY AN ANGLO FATHER AND NATIVE MEXICAN MOTHER. MY MOTHER AND I LEARNED ENGLISH TOGETHER WHEN SHE STARTED TAKING ME TO NURSERY SCHOOL.

MY FATHER WORKED IN THE PORTERVILLE PUBLIC COURT SYSTEM AS A TRANSLATOR FOR THE MEXICAN MIGRANT FARM WORKERS THAT WERE A MAJOR PART OF THE SAN JOAQUIN AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. AWARENESS OF THE AZTEC EAGLE ON THE UNITED FARM WORKERS FLAG AND THE STRUGGLES IT REPRESENTED WAS A PART OF MY GROWING UP.

THE UNITED FARM WORKERS ASSOCIATION HAS KINDLY ALLOWED ME TO USE THEIR LOGO FOR THIS COLLECTION, WITH PROCEEDS FROM OUR COLLABORATION BENEFITING THEIR CONTINUING EFFORTS. FLAG GRAPHICS ARE USED ON T-SHIRTS AND OVERSHIRTS THAT WILL BE SOLD VIA OUR E-COMMERCE SITE.
COLLAB WITH THOMAS HOUSEAGO... WHEN I REALIZED MY RUNWAY SHOW WOULD LITERALLY BE REVOLVING AROUND HIS SCULPTURE INSTALLED IN THE PALAIS DE TOKYO FOUNTAIN, I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND HIS INFLUENCE FURTHER INTO THE COLLECTION. INTERESTINGLY, HE HAD BEEN THINKING OF BORDER WALLS AND AZTEC HIEROGLYPHICS AS WELL AND ALLOWED ME TO USE ONE OF HIS WALL SCULPTURES AS OUR INVITE ART.


I ASKED TO HAVE SOME OF HIS L.A. STUDIO CLAY SHIPPED TO PARIS TO USE ON THE RUNWAY, REFERENCING HIS PERFORMANCE VIDEO IN HIS MUSÉE D’ART MODERNE SHOW... AFTER MY RUNWAY SHOW, THE CLAY WILL GO TO L’ÉCOLE DES BEAUX-ARTS TO BE USED BY STUDENTS IN THE SCULPTING DEPARTMENT.

A SELECTION OF HOUSEAGO LABELED GARMENTS AND RUNNERS ARE MEGALACED WITH A BLACK WAX OR A WHITE WAX FINISH, ECHOING THE TEXTURES OF HIS WORK
COLLAB WITH VEJA — THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SNEAKER BRAND I COULD FIND (TO QUOTE MYSELF, “I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY, BUT I DO ENDORSE THE IDEA OF THOUGHTFUL LIVING AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE WITH KINDNESS IN MIND. WE ALL GOTTA START SOMEWHERE”.) OUR COLLAB CONTINUES WITH A NEW HIKING SNEAKER IN GREYSCALE AND ASYMMETRICAL DETAILS.

COLLAB WITH CHAMPION — I REMEMBER MY COUSINS WEARING CHAMPION TEES AND SHORTS WHEN WE USED TO GO VISIT THE FAMILY IN MEXICO IN THE SEVENTIES... HERE I HAVE TURNED THOSE SPORTS CLOTHES INTO TOGAS, LOINCLOTHS AND BRIEFS.....CHAMPION KINDLY ACCEPTED DOING THEIR LOGO IN BLACK, WHITE, AND GREY AND WE HAVE SPRINKLED IT LIBERALLY OVER A CAPSULE INCLUDING T-SHIRTS, SWEATS, AND WINDBREAKERS.


I CONTINUE WITH A SHARP-SHOULDERED TAILORED SILHOUETTE, AT TIMES COVERED IN BRIGHT SEQUINS LIKE THE FOLKLORIC CHINA POBLANA SKIRTS MY MOM WORE IN SCHOOL PAGEANTS GROWING UP IN PUEBLA, MEXICO. BLAZERS HAVE INTEGRATED STRAPS TO PEEL JACKETS OFF AND WEAR BUCKLED AROUND THE HIPS ON THE DANCE FLOOR. BLAZERS AND LIGHT COATS ARE WORN OVER ZIPPERED JUMPSUITS OR FULL HIGH WAISTED ZIPPERED CARGO SHORTS. FABRICS ARE IRISÉ COATED CANVAS, MEMBRANE RUBBERIZED NYLONS, PAPER-THIN SNAKE, COTTON DUCHESSE, AND NYLON TAFFETA. FOOTWEAR INCLUDES GLAM PLATFORM BOOTS IN CLEAR PLEXI, AFOREMENTIONED MEGALACED SNEAKERS, OR EARTHY SANDALS IN COW FUR.


MUSIC IS AN EXTENDED REMIX OF ‘ACCELERATION’ BY LAVASCAR, MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE MICHELE LAMY’S BAND WITH NICO VASCELLARI AND DAUGHTER SCARLETT ROUGE (LAMY/VASCELLARI/SCARLETT), PRODUCED BY ROCCO RAMPINO. I INVITED MUSICIANS FROM MEXICO TO ACCOMPANY LAVASCAR’S TRACK WITH DANZA AZTECA CEREMONIAL MUSIC THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM THEIR ELDERS. VOCALS ARE IN THE TRADITIONAL NAHUATL AZTEC LANGUAGE
“TECUATL NONAN, AMIXPANZINCO ONCAN NOYOLO.

CUICATL ANYOLQUEH XOCHITL ANCUEPONQUE”
“LORDESS OF WATER, HERE IN FRONT OF YOUR HONORABLE GAZE, IS MY HEART. YOU KNOW THIS LIFE SONG YOU HAVE LAID OUT YOURSELF LIKE FLOWERS...”

CASTING AM CASTING (CLM)
MAKEUP KARIM RAHMAN (OPEN TALENT PARIS)
HAIR DUFFY (STREETERS)
PRODUCTION LA MODE EN IMAGES
MUSIC ‘ACCELERATION’ BY LAVASCAR WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE BY OMAN CUEZALIN RIOS, XICO XAVIER GARZA, HUITZOMITL, AND JAEL MINO OCELOTL RIVERA