The soundtrack that was played during the show was the English, French, and German versions of David Bowie's classic "Heroes" but due to copyright restrictions, what we hear on the video below is a backward distorted version of the song created by Owens musical collaborator Jeff Judd...which, I have to confess, is just as good if you can't hear the real thing. Quite deliberately I am sure, the set recalls the vertical fluorescent tubes on the stage of Bowie's Isolar II tour in 1978.
Rick Owens show notes:
NAMING THIS COLLECTION C O N C O R D I A N S , I WAS THINKING ABOUT MY 22 YEARS OF TRAVELING TO OUR FACTORY IN THIS SMALL INDUSTRIAL ITALIAN TOWN, CONCORDIA. AND NOT JUST ALONE BUT WITH MY TEAM, ALL TRAVELING FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE GLITTERING CITIES – TO LIVE HERE IN A KIND OF STUDIOUS ISOLATION. ALMOST BLEAKNESS. THIS CLOISTERED LIFE SEEMS TO BE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON REACHING FOR SOMETHING WEIRDAND WONDERFUL…THE 1ST YEAR, I STAYED IN A GRAND SUITE IN THE BAGLIONI HOTEL IN BOLOGNA THAT MY LICENSE AGREEMENT AT THE TIME PAID FOR. FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS, I SLEPT ON A COUCH IN MY OFFICE IN THE FACTORY TO IMMERSE MYSELF IN THE RHYTHM OF AN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION SCHEDULE THAT WAS NEW TO ME AND THAT I NEEDED TO LEARN TO SURVIVE. THE NEXT 10 YEARS, I STAYED AT THE CONCORDIA HOTEL THAT HAD JUST BEEN BUILT OVERLOOKING A GAS STATION, IN A NO FRILLS SERIAL KILLER ROOM. 7 YEARS AGO, AN APARTMENT BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FACTORY AND THAT’S WHERE I HAVE MY CURRENT APARTMENT.
AFTER 20 YEARS OF TRAVELING HERE, I HAVE UPGRADED MY CARRY ON WITH A NEW RIMOWA COLLABORATION CUSTOMIZED WITH A BRONZED EXTERIOR AND FULLY-LINED IN BLACK LEATHER. I ASKED RIMOWA TO GIVE ME THE BRONZE OF A RICHARD SERRA WALL AND, BLESS THEIR HEARTS, THEY DID. MODELS FOR THIS SHOW WEAR NECKLACES MADE WITH COW FUR LUGGAGE TAGS INCLUDED WITH EACH CASE.
MOST LOOKS ARE UNDERPINNED WITH THERMAL LONG JOHNS IN A COMPACT FSC CERTIFIED WOOL/VISCOSE BLEND JERSEY. THERMALS CHANGED MY WHOLE ATTITUDE ABOUT WINTER WHEN I MOVED TO EUROPE FROM CALIFORNIA… HEAVYWEIGHT GROPPONE COW LEATHER IS LASER CUT AND WOVEN TOGETHER BY HAND TO CREATE CHAIN-LINKED SKIRTS AND BOOTS IN A COLLABORATION WITH PARISIAN DESIGNER VICTOR CLAVELLY, WHO SPECIALIZES IN EXAGGERATING THE BODY IN A WAY I’M ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR. I HAVE ALSO COLLABED WITH PARISIAN RUBBER MISTRESS MATISSE DI MAGGIO AGAIN, WHO PROVIDED THE TOPS AND HOODIES WITH ALL OVER FRILLING IN NATURAL RUBBER.
SOME TROUSERS AND SHIRTS ARE MADE IN A HEAVY CROSTA SUEDE WHICH IS DYED BY HAND WITH NATURAL INDIGO AND WASHED TO ACHIEVE IRREGULAR COLORATION. THIS IS MADE FOR US BY A TUSCAN TANNERY WITH A LWG GOLD RATING.
DRACUCOLLARED JACKETS AND COATS ARE MADE IN HEAVYWEIGHT VEG TANNED CALF LEATHER, WHICH IS DRUMMED WITH WAX AND THEN WASHED. ONLY VEGETAL AND NATURAL TANNINS ARE USED IN THE PROCESS OF TANNING AND PRESERVING THIS LEATHER. PANTS, SHIRTS, AND BAGS ARE CUT FROM BLEACHED LARGE-SCALED ALLIGATOR RESPONSIBLY SOURCED IN THE U.S.A. LOOSELY FLARED JEANS ARE EXECUTED IN BRONZE MEGACRUST – LAYERS OF BRONZE FOIL AND WAX ARE PRESSED ONTO 13OZ DENIM AND WASHED TO CREATE A CRUSTY SURFACE TEXTURE. ALL OUR DENIM IS TREATED IN AN ITALIAN WASH-HOUSE BASED IN THE VENETO AREA OF ITALY THAT PRODUCES IN SMALLER TREATMENT BATHS TO REDUCE WATER WASTE AND UTILIZES A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE WATER USED. ALL OF OUR DENIM WASHES ARE ZDHC CERTIFIED.
SHREDDED AND COLLAGED JEANS ARE MADE IN 14OZ ORGANIC JAPANESE INDIGO SLUB DENIM WOVEN IN THE FUKUYAMA PREFECTURE BY A MILL FOUNDED IN 1893. THESE ARE STONEWASHED WITH MINERAL DYES TO CREATE OUR SIGNATURE HUSTLER WASH. WE CONTINUE OUR BONOTTO COLLABORATION WITH CAPES AND COATS ZIPPED AND HARNESSED IN HOMAGE TO BLIXA BARGELD, THE FRONTMAN OF EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN.
HEAVYWEIGHT WOOL MELTON IS MADE USING RWS CERTIFIED VIRGIN WOOL WHICH ENSURES A HIGH STANDARD IN ANIMAL WELFARE, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. EACH BALE OF WOOL IS TRACEABLE BACK TO ITS SOURCE. JACKETS AND COATS ARE CUT IN A BRITISH MÉLANGE WOOL FELT BLENDED WITH KEMP, ALSO KNOWN AS DEAD HAIR. KEMP FIBERS ARE NATURAL TO SOME SHEEP BREEDS AND DO NOT TAKE DYE WHICH CREATES THE NATURAL MÉLANGE COLORATION ONCE DYED. FACTORY BOOTS RECREATE THE HEIGHT AND INCLINATION OF OUR KISS BOOTS BUT WITH AN EXTRA STABLE INDUSTRIAL SOLE FOR STEADY FOOTING ON FACTORY STAIRS.
THE SOUNDTRACK IS BOWIE’S HEROES – THE FRENCH, GERMAN, AND ENGLISH VERSIONS, WHICH WE WON’T LEGALLY BE ABLE TO USE ON YOUTUBE BUT IS THE CONSTANT SUBLIMINAL SOUNDTRACK TO A LOT OF OUR LIVES. WHAT YOU LISTEN TO ON YOUR EARBUDS IN AN EMPTY VILLAGE TRAIN STATION ON A COLD FOGGY NIGHT ON YOUR WAY SOMEWHERE TO WORK ON A WEIRD AND WONDERFUL FUTURE.
AND GIVE ME A WEEK OR A MONTH, I CAN FIT EVERYTHING I NEED IN A CARRY ON… I CAN NEED LESS BUT MAKE CHOICES COUNT MORE. I WANT TO DEPEND ON LESS THINGS BUT MAKE THEM AS SUPERNATURAL AS POSSIBLE.
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| Bowie performing on the stage set for his Isolar II Tour, 1978 |
Huge kudos to Rick Owens for non-standard casting too...body and age diversity are good to see.
https://www.rickowens.eu/
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