POP 099/ Friday, 11 September 2009

Today’s Pop is Paul. Expecting the next installment of his Cuba series, we now find that he has another obsession: the furniture of Rick Owens. Paul, don’t stop surprising us…

In terms of cultural currency, Rick Owens is right up there with the best of the maverick design pack. He has this clever knack of repeating the simplest of ideas in a way that seems fresh each time. For Owens, design is not about the restless quest to present a new narrative every season. In true craftsman tradition, he prefers to hone what is already impeccable into a yet more refined articulation. This has generated a fiercely loyal following that keeps growing.

We were excited back in 2005 when he opened his first boutique in Paris. Now, finally was an opportunity to buy his clothes in a dedicated space. New York was next in the summer of 2007. London, earlier this year in the Spring – and already there are plans to extend the store by winter. And, Tokyo just two weeks ago. High end retail is supposedly on a downturn, but this brand is clearly on a roll.

Owens has always been about creating his own aesthetic – and this extends into environment. Not for him, the sleek satinised steel and bleached wood store interiors from 90s minimalism. Instead, pared down basics, yes – but in an underground bunker style, à la Paul Virillo, whom he has cited as a dominant influence to his own design signature. Raw concrete, low ceilings and stippled walls that resemble stalagmites. Giant daybeds, covered in boiled animal hide and softened with a generously proportioned mink stole. Suede carpeting and heavy drapes made from army blankets. Ascetic chairs embellished with antler horns for that essential Hunter-Gatherer vibe. These are some of the design signatures that remain unique to a Rick Owens store. These are all designed by himself and manufactured by Jacek Nowak, who was previously working with Gaetano Pesce.

Echoing his clothes, there is a play with proportion and patina in the furniture pieces. The infinite loops of a skatepark vie for visual attention with a nod to Brancusi and the austerity of Bauhaus. As with the jersey cotton that is the basis of his Lilies collection, everyday materials, such as plywood, form the raw materials that he shapes into chairs and giant sofas. They are then covered in luxurious pelts or cashmere for a tactile experience.

Owens first exhibited his furniture in October ‘07 at Jousse Enterprise in Paris. Prior to that, the pieces had been created initially for his own home, and then the showroom as business began to grow. In between designing six clothing collections a year, co-partnering an Italian factory, as well as four retail stores, Owens has found time to add more designs to his furniture collection. An exhibition titled Evolution opened yesterday at Sebastian+Barquet in Mayfair.

In addition to the Curial chair and his larger-than-life Double Récamier sofa – all 9 foot of it – there are marble lamps on concrete posts and a new design of the anthropomorphic Stag stool, with five different antler configurations.

In typical irreverent manner, he explained the raison d’être behind the designs. “To be honest, I’ve started this furniture business to monopolise my furniture maker. All of the pieces were done for my house and I just want him available every time I need something new for myself. This is basically a display of my selfishness.”

Beyond the furniture, what we liked, was the way in which the Owens posse – Rick, his wife, Michelle Lamy, Commercial Director, Luca Ruggeri and assorted family – casually walked in to the private viewing with no fanfare or fuss. And then hung out chatting with everyone on the pavement, enjoying the mild English evening.

Hands up who wants to be Rick Owens for a day.

Evolution by Rick Owens. Sebastian+Barquet. 16 Bruton Place. London, W1. Until 30th September.