Rick Owens F/W '21 - 'Gethsemane'

Rick Owens put on his live Fall/Winter 2021 Menswear show, "Gethsemane," on a dreary January day in Venice. Smoke machines accompanied the cast of models as they strode purposefully down the steps of a church. This feels fitting as the collection is named after the garden Jesus prayed in before crucifixion. "A place of uneasy repose and disquiet before a final reckoning, We're all living in a tense period in history waiting for a resolution, be it catastrophic or rational, in a suspense that feels almost biblical in its drama — primitive and profane," Owens explains.

His latest collection is layered, oversized leather vests and jackets sit on top of slouchy sweaters with many, many arm and neck holes, perhaps a reference to the versatility in his design. Outerwear pieces are a standout, Owens reimagines classic puffer jackets and coats with new exaggerated lines and shapes. There is an internal logic to his Fall/Winter 2021 Menswear show, Owens uniquely displays masculine and severe-looking leathers in greens and purples that feel more feminine.

Owens' newly redesigned square-toed converses are a highlight. Think of these as a normal converse's much eviler, much cooler twin. Owens is reluctant to collaborate with brands except for when he feels that the collaboration will be meaningful. 

About his newest collaboration, he calls the sneakers grotesque, like a parody of the original we all recognize. The latest converse is miles away from the geeky, awkward high tops we (or at least, I) laced up in middle school, and that is a good thing.