Mood board: Rick Owens called his autumn show 'Sphinx', and dressed his mythical gatekeeper in a uniform so subverted that you may never look at a peacoat in the same way again. Opening with that nautical staple (cut from blasted leather or Berber blankets, no less), he riffed on pieces as close to classic as he has ever dared, exaggerating their trapeze flare until he turned it upside down, hung it from the neck and traipsed it out sans trousers as a dramatic cutaway tunic. Backstage, he associated that mariner theme with a French submarine film, which he later explored through the more abstract notion of 'compression'. It explained the way coats appeared ready to burst with mesh-covered quilting.
Best in show: Amongst the beautiful mix of editorial fodder, a series of vented cashmere and Melton wool blousons featured severe, artful paneling down the torso. With a touch of satin quilting winding beneath the arms, they too 'compressed' the season's message into wearable, covetable outerwear.
Finishing touches: Owens' recent Adidas footwear collaborations have erred far more on the sportier side than this season's opulent design - those ergonomic rubber soles, this time transferred onto a stretchy sock boot in butter soft suede.
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Aesop’s Queer Library bookmarks brilliant literature, no purchase requiredReturning to London’s Soho, 3-6 July 2025, the Queer Library pop-up offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies
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Wangechi Mutu's powerful sculptures take over the palatial interiors of Rome's Galleria BorgheseThe Kenyan-born artist is the first living woman to have a solo exhibition at the villa
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Il Sereno’s new Listening Suite is what phonophiles’ dreams are made ofDesigned by Patricia Urquiola and Il Sereno founder and audiophile Luis Contreras, the new Lake Como-facing suite unites Japanese listening culture with Italian design
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Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expectFive moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
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Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
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Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
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At home with Rick OwensAs California-born fashion designer Rick Owens is named one of the Wallpaper* USA 300 – a celebration of creative America – we revisit our conversation with Owens in the run-up to his S/S 2023 menswear show last year
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Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
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Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
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Paris Fashion Week A/W 2021: discotheque chic to apres-ski sleek -
Walk this way: navigating S/S 2021's Paris Fashion WeekHow the City of Lights looked to the sartorial realities of our much changed lifestyles
