The Palais Galliera is holding the first exhibition in Paris dedicated to the work of avant-garde fashion designer Rick Owens. It features collections from his early beginnings in Los Angeles through to his most recent. With a fascination for spiritual ritual, his creations draw on a wide range of references, from Joris-Karl Huysmans to modern and contemporary art, as well as the great Hollywood films of the early 20th century. Rick Owens himself is the exhibition’s artistic director and he has worked with the curation of the Palais Galliera to create an exhibition trail that extends to the façade of the museum as well as its garden.
Born in California in 1961, Rick Owens started out as a pattern-cutter in Los Angeles before launching his own label in 1992. His outfits, inspired by underground culture and the glamour of 1930s fashion, were notable for their sophisticated structures. Limited resources inspired him to use some reclaimed and salvaged materials – he repurposed military bags, army blankets and washed leather, turning them into dresses and jackets. He has a predilection for black and muted shades, including a special grey he calls «dust», which has become one of his signature colours.
In 2003, Rick Owens left Los Angeles for Paris. He is independent and provocative by nature and his expressive fashion shows reflect a political stance that condemns discrimination and male dominance. For one show he hired an all-female, predominantly black team of step dancers instead of models; in another the genitals of his male models were exposed; in all of them the strength of women is celebrated. As a response to a world in crisis, his commitment is embodied in more sculptural creations and the use of vibrant colours.
Featuring over 100 silhouettes, the retrospective is augmented by Owens’s personal documents, as well as videos and some never-before-seen installations. Works by Gustave Moreau, Joseph Beuys and Steven Parrino provide insight into the designer’s sources of inspiration and show his work in a new light. The exhibition also focuses on the central role played by his wife Michèle Lamy, whose presence is felt throughout the exhibition, even in a recreation of their Californian bedroom.
Rick Owens’s work also extends outside of the museum. He has wrapped the statues on the façade in a fabric embroidered with sequins. In the garden of the Palais Galliera, thirty brutalist- style cement sculptures, specially designed for the occasion, recall pieces from his furniture line. The garden has been designed with his beloved Californian vines and plants.
The scale and scope of the exhibition, Rick Owens, Temple Of Love, is unprecedented. It is a meditation on love, beauty and diversity, presented in a monumental setting. The silhouettes, most of which come from the archives of one of today’s leading designers, transform the museum into a temple dedicated to creation.
Date: From June 28th, 2025 to Januery 4th 2026
Place: Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de Paris
General Curator: Miren Arzalluz, honorary director of the Palais Galliera
Scientific Curator: Alexandre Samson, head of collections, clothes from 1947 to contemporary design
Artistic Director: Rick Owens
Photos: Palais Galliera and WWD
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