Born and raised in California, Owens studied art at Parsons in LA before opting instead to take a two- year course on pattern-making. After toiling as an indie designer—and rock star favorite— in Los Angeles for a number of years. Rick Owens made a big jump by moving to Paris in 2003.
There, he oversees his own line, which is now manufactured out of Italy. Owens’ own line remains true to his aesthetic: Minimalist palettes, dramatic structure. Though he’s often labeled as Goth by the press, Owens considers himself more of a “drama queen,” though not in an obvious way. “My look is about an appreciation of teenage angst without actually having the angst.”