Rick Owens SS14

Paris Fashion Week is quite predictable in some aspects. Fashion houses spend large amounts of money on extravagant shows including set designs, lighting, music, invitations, after parties, and of course models. Models on Paris runways are typically around 6 feet tall, ages 17-25, and thin or toned. Very few exceptions are made. It's a very strict (and in some cases degrading) industry in that sense.  Models walk up and down the runway with flawless strides and that's about it. But this Spring/Summer 2014 season, American designer Rick Owens decided to try something different and completely new to Paris Fashion week. The following are pictures of Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2014 collection debut.

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Rick Owens recruited four squads of female "steppers" to step-dance down the runway for his spring/summer show. According to Wikipedia "Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps." The dancers came from institutes in the US such as Howard College and The University of Maryland. The squads began practicing five months before the show to prepare for the complex, motion filled display of Rick Owens's collection.

I think that this fashion show sent an important message to the industry. This is because these models are considered "plus-size" and most of them are African American. Unfortunately, the truth is that the vast majority of models on European runways are caucasian. In addition, models are typically very thin. In the last few months, both super model Naomi Campbell and Kanye West have spoke out about the lack of models of colour on the runway. There is no excuse for not having models of different ethnicities. It's really up to the casting directors who book models for these shows to choose more variety. Hopefully they will begin to do so after this season. However it should be noted that models are typically around the same height and weight so there is consistency throughout the fashion week. It makes it much easier for the designers to fit their 30-50 different looks if the models have a similar body type. The dancing models were a total surprise to the industry. Rick Owens is known for his outlandish shows, but this is definitely his most extreme to date. He chose not to conform to the typical orientation of a Paris fashion show. I'm glad Rick Owens chose to do so. After seeing this show I feel much more open-minded about how models should look and walk on the runaway. By using these dancers in his show, Rick Owens is creating meaningful fashion that incorporates performance art and politics.

-SFH