Rick Owens debuts in beauty with Aesop

Yesterday's Rick Owens show at the Palais de Tokyo saw, in addition to the debut of the FW22 womenswear collection signed by the American designer, also the presentation of the brand's latest collaboration with Aesop. It is the first that Rick Owens announces related to the field of beauty and, according to Miles Socha of WWD, « candles and ceramic beads that can be infused with oils to place in a drawer or the bottom of a handbag, plus the fragrance that was diffused via those portable fog machines. Owens chose to call the scent Stoic». Also yesterday, on its Instagram profile, the brand posted a photo of what appears to be a room aroma diffuser or gray candle accompanying the photo with an interview written in the caption, in which Owens states that for him, Aesop represents a type of « aesthetic beauty, hygienic beauty and moral beauty» and that the trait that unites the beauty brand with its own is that of being « an option for those pursuing a gentle, carefully considered life».

The statement is interesting because it illustrates well the apparent contradiction of Rick Owens who, despite being famous for his dark and aggressive aesthetic («When I drag people to a show, I want them to see a show», said the designer) has always cultivated an empathetic and familiar approach as much to the brand's internal operations, which function practically as a small family-run atelier but expanded into a global fashion empire, as to the deeper meaning of its designs - which conceal a studious, romantic and emotionally connected side far from the superficial impression the brand's bold shows can give to first-time viewers. Rick Owens, after all, is one of the most authentic proponents of democratic design through his many collaborations with brands like Converse or Birkenstock.