>> We hear lots from the Marcs and Karls of the world, but how about a little from cult figure Rick Owens?  He sat down with both Details and Vice Magazine recently for a few choice words about the possibility of advertising or designing for another label, and how he dresses up with a mink coat.  He doesn't hold back, calling himself "a soft sissy" as a kid, and "a selfish c*nt" now.

He makes heart leap-inducing clothes, but he's not a fan of them himself.

I’m not really into clothes. I wear one outfit like a uniform, and I have for years. Black sweatpants, black baggy shorts over them, a black or white cotton t-shirt, and a black cashmere t-shirt over that. I couldn’t imagine having to change outfits every day or having to change for the gym.  This outfit takes me to the gym, to work in the studio, and then to dinner with a mink coat over it.

In fact, he'd rather you work out than buy clothes.

Working out is modern couture. No outfit is going to make you look or feel as good as having a fit body. Buy less clothing and go to the gym instead.

The extreme sensation of working out has replaced the mosh pits of my earlier years and the sex clubs for years after that. It’s a great combo of discipline, joyous release, meditation, and vanity. Music never sounded as good as it does now, pounding through those earbud headphones into the pit of my stomach as I feel my muscles swell.

If he accosts you on the street in Paris, it's probably not a good thing.

I've lived in Paris for six years, and I'm sorry to say that the Ugly American syndrome still exists. Sometimes you just want to say "Stop destroying the landscape with your outfit." Still, from a design standpoint, I'm tempted to redo the fanny pack. I look at it as a challenge — it's something to react against.

But if you're trying to impress him . . .

Hair and shoes say it all. Everything in between is forgivable as long as you keep it simple. Trying to talk with your clothes is passive-aggressive.

There's something a little too chatterboxy about color. Right now I want black, for its sharpness and punctuation.

It's not likely he'll design anywhere else.

Honestly, Revillon was my only temptation. I would never be the slightest bit interested again. I’m not saying that bitterly, I had a lovely time with Revillon. But why would I want to put all that effort into someone else’s company when I can put it into my own?

And you probably won't be seeing any Rick Owens advertising, either.

Advertising pulls you more deeply into the fashion system than I’m willing to go. I have enough, and my business is growing at a pace that’s gradual enough to be safe, yet fast enough to be motivating. And advertising’s another job, like runway shows. Once you start, you need to be ready to do it forever. That being said, though, I never thought I’d be doing runway shows.
*image: source