Rick Owens Brings Dark Romance to Paris
Rick Owens' Fall/Winter 2026 collection featured dramatic outerwear, exaggerated shoulders, and his signature interplay of leather, wool, and techno-fabrics. Critics noted the line's commitment to pushing boundaries in form and texture while maintaining a wearable edge. Several pieces are already considered must-haves for fashion-forward wardrobes this fall.
The Fall/Winter 2026 collection, titled "TOWER," was presented in the smoke-filled underground chamber of the Palais de Tokyo, creating an ominous and otherworldly atmosphere. This collection serves as the second chapter in this thematic exploration for Owens. A standout feature of the collection was the use of Kevlar, a material five times stronger than steel and typically reserved for body armor. The fabric was woven by a third-generation mill in Como, Italy, that specializes in performance textiles, reinforcing the collection's themes of strength and protection. This emphasis on armor and insulation was also seen in heavy waxed cowhides and raw Himalayan wool felt. The show's inspiration was the defiant life of actress Marlene Dietrich, particularly her decision to entertain Allied troops during World War II as an act of moral resistance. Owens translated this narrative of courage into a "battle-ready" womenswear lineup, with towering silhouettes designed to be a form of adaptable armor. Alongside the industrial toughness of Kevlar, the collection featured artisanal materials like towering coats made from long-haired goat hide. The show concluded with candy-colored coats from this material, an homage to the swansdown coat Dietrich wore in her later cabaret career. The dystopian edge of the clothing was amplified by the models' styling, which included half-shaved haircuts. Some models also wore hand-tied macrame masks, created in collaboration with artist Lucas Moretti, which took over 30 hours to make. This collection continues Owens' long-standing aesthetic of "glunge" – a fusion of glamour and grunge. For over two decades, his work has challenged conventional notions of beauty by treating the body as a canvas for sculptural transformation with architectural draping and asymmetrical cuts.
