Rick Owens SS23 is inspired by Theda Bara's Cleopatra

For spring/summer 2023, Rick Owens returns to the Palais de Tokyo, this time outdoors, to present his “EDFU” collection.

Machine Gun Kelly, Erykah Badu, Cher, Michèle Lamy, Tyga and many more celebrities had a front row seat to Rick Owens’ SS23 show. As if it were a haute couture collection, the designer chose to give an experimental and abnormal approach to ‘EDFU’, taking inspiration from Cecil B.’s Cleopatra Theda Bara.

“I find great solace in the remoteness and scale of [Egypt’s] history,” Owens said. “My personal concerns and global woes feel small against that kind of timelessness. Lying on the ground with the Valley of the Kings in view is a very soothing prospect. Temples begun by one civilisation, occupied and expanded by another, completed by yet another, and then unearthed by yet another, are reassuring in their stoic permanence”.

Owens‘ collections are often an outlet for his fears revolving around the demise of the world, wars and climate change. The designer’s garments have become his own pyramids, i.e. breathtaking creations made to last for eternity. In addition, the creative director of his eponymous brand is increasingly focusing on sustainability to make this idea of durability even more meaningful.