When a human being becomes a brand. The history and aesthetics of the
most visionary designer ever, chosen by Strike as its flagship brand.
Everything and nothing. The aesthetic idea of Rick Owens is visionary and finds in the conciliation of opposites its innermost sense, its reason for existing.
At the exact centre of this prolific encounter there is fashion, intended in its purest essence as signifier and meaning, sublime art that is both an instrument of interpretation and social protest, capable of giving meaning to reality while fighting to change it.
Strike and Rick Owens: a solid and lasting marriage
To date, Rick Owens-drkshdw is one of Strike's flagship brands.
A love affair that began in 2015 with the DRKSHDW collection and that has lasted over the years, thanks to the fundamental sharing of an aesthetic (and ethical) ideal that Strike espouses in all respects, and that has never disappointed year by year.
And which, indeed, never ceases to give confirmation.
The latest comes from Venice, the venue for the SS 2022 menswear presentation, a hymn to the material, subversive and paroxysmal style that has always distinguished the philosophy of a brand that is inevitably projected into the future.
Let's discover together the cornerstones and novelties of the new collection by the man who is considered the most iconic designer of the contemporary era.
Rick Owens DRKSHDW SS 2022 between great returns and irreverent novelties
Always prone to evolution and changes, if there is one constant we can identify and which recurs, despite everything, in every collection by Rick Owens, it is research.
A research that is spasmodic, careful and never superficial.
Research that involves everything, from materials to textures, from volumes to models. Nothing is left to chance, each element is carefully studied to harmonise within the whole, to send out a message.
The comeback of denim
The SS 2022 collection seems purposely made to reconcile paradoxes.
The first concerns the great return of denim, not the pure denim of metropolitan armour that protects from the outside world, but a soft, versatile and iridescent version that bends to the needs of the moment.
The result is baggy jeans with a super oversized fit, winking at a Nineteens past with underground references while affirming the era of genderlessness in garments and styles, but also the irreverent Bolan Banana, jeans with zips that make them completely open at the back, and the more classic Tyrone Cut, dedicated to Tyrone Dylan Susman, a young jewellery designer, model, collaborator - and presumably partner - of Rick Owens, responsible for bringing new life to the brand thanks to his fresher and more contemporary vision, already known for appearing in the lookbook created at the votive temple in Venice for the presentation of GETHSEMANE, an irreverent FW 2021 collection.
Sneakers as a 'signature element' of the brand
Sneakers deserve a separate chapter, the "signature element", the iconic item that best represents Rick Owens' style.
Famous collabs come to mind, from Adidas to Veja and the most recent one with Converse, which gave birth to the DRKSTAR sneak, but not only.
Evergreen, always up-to-date and loved by the most popular celebrities: rappers, actors, NBA players, there isn't a star who hasn't proudly sported a pair of Rick Owens sneakers, from Kanye West to A$AP Rocky to Travis Scott, from Justin Bieber to Orlando Bloom to Jaden Smith, from Russell Westbrook to Lebron James, and many more.
In the current collection we find them in torn denim, the absolute novelty of the season, together with the "jumbo laces" trend and the already known but still popular "abstract" sole, both available at Strike.
Lots of research, new trends and confirmation of iconic styles
As said, research is at the heart of the brand's aesthetic philosophy.
But the drive for innovation does not prevent, and indeed harmonises perfectly with, a certain conservatism in the brand's most representative styles, in the perennial game of reconciling opposites that enliven each collection.
Confirmed are the Jumbo Tees and the Berlin Pants, timeless items that perfectly match the genderless trend of the collection.
The news come in the chosen colours: the classic black and white are flanked by provocative, breakaway shades such as orange and lilac, once again faithful to the intention of creating great contrasts.
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Innovation also focuses on materials and volumes, giving each garment, even the most classic and essential style, a long-lasting strong identity.
Discover what's new in the SS 2022 Rick Owens collection in-store and online at www.strikestore.eu
