Rick Owens and his wife Michèle Lamy (who we previsouly interviewed forOyster #93) call themselves The Huns, but their brand of world domination seems more like a happy mistake than anything so sinister as the nickname suggests. Rick is the more subdued of the two, his clothes fittingly sober — monochromatic, sexless and futuristic. Michèle, on the other hand, exudes fun. She laughs and gesticulates constantly while talking, and her silver teeth and stacked-on jewellery flash in the sun like strobe lights. I met with them one afternoon at their showroom in Paris' Le Marais.
[Scene: Inside Rick’s expansive white showroom on Rue Charlot (according to Rick, it used to be the showroom for Chloé). Rick is pacing up and down the racks of clothes, checking details on the garments here and there. Michèle hobbles into the room in ridiculously tall heel-less platforms.]
Rick Owens: I need to smoke.
Zac Bayly: Oh my God — I need a smoke too.
Rick: I'll meet you outside. I've got to get my ChapStick.
[Rick disappears into another room. Michèle and Zac leave the building and make their way across the cobblestones toward a very French-looking round, white table in the courtyard. Michèle is clearly struggling to walk in her shoes, so when Rick arrives he takes her arm and helps her to the table. Everyone sits down, and Rick and Zac light up cigarettes.]
Rick: Oh honey — I don't know how you do it.
Michèle: It's only on this cobblestone that I've got to be careful. [To Zac] I'm not a smoker anymore.
Zac Bayly: Oh my God — I need a smoke too.
Rick: I'll meet you outside. I've got to get my ChapStick.
[Rick disappears into another room. Michèle and Zac leave the building and make their way across the cobblestones toward a very French-looking round, white table in the courtyard. Michèle is clearly struggling to walk in her shoes, so when Rick arrives he takes her arm and helps her to the table. Everyone sits down, and Rick and Zac light up cigarettes.]
Rick: Oh honey — I don't know how you do it.
Michèle: It's only on this cobblestone that I've got to be careful. [To Zac] I'm not a smoker anymore.
How long did you smoke for?
Michèle: Oh, like, 50 years.
Michèle: Oh, like, 50 years.
50 years! You don’t look like you’ve smoked for… Do you mind if I ask how old you are?
Michèle: You count. I started smoking at ten, so…
Rick: [To Zac] What happened to your arm?
Michèle: You count. I started smoking at ten, so…
Rick: [To Zac] What happened to your arm?
I was in Croatia and partied too hard. I slipped on the rocks by the sea.
Michèle: [Laughs]
Rick: That’s dramatic. Was that the end of the evening for you?
Michèle: [Laughs]
Rick: That’s dramatic. Was that the end of the evening for you?
No, but I had a big lip for a week, like Lana Del Rey.
Rick: Oh dear…
Rick: Oh dear…
I loved it! I wish my lip still looked that big.
Michèle: I can see it still. That’s good. It's a nice sore.
Rick: In Croatia, do all of the islands have gay nude beaches?
Michèle: I can see it still. That’s good. It's a nice sore.
Rick: In Croatia, do all of the islands have gay nude beaches?
Pretty much [blushes and laughs]. Your showroom is huge, by the way.
Rick: I know! [To Michèle] How did we ever manage it? It's huge!
Michèle: Yes, but it's too big. We can't fill the space.
Rick: Well, let's do another collection.
Michèle: Exactly. That's what I was going to tell you — we can do another collection.
Rick: I know! [To Michèle] How did we ever manage it? It's huge!
Michèle: Yes, but it's too big. We can't fill the space.
Rick: Well, let's do another collection.
Michèle: Exactly. That's what I was going to tell you — we can do another collection.
I was here when you thought of that. You should call it ‘Zac’.
Michèle: Yeah?
Rick: I don’t think we will. Anyway, this is our first season in this space. We had another space that was kind of big last season that was nice, but it was a little less nice than this.
Michèle: Yeah?
Rick: I don’t think we will. Anyway, this is our first season in this space. We had another space that was kind of big last season that was nice, but it was a little less nice than this.
How long ago did you start the label?
Rick: It was about eleven years ago, maybe twelve.
Rick: It was about eleven years ago, maybe twelve.
What were you guys doing before that?
Rick: Michèle had a restaurant and I was across the street in my studio.
Michèle: I had a clothing company before.
Rick: [To Michèle] It's interesting that you’re becoming as much a part of the public image of the company as I am.
Rick: Michèle had a restaurant and I was across the street in my studio.
Michèle: I had a clothing company before.
Rick: [To Michèle] It's interesting that you’re becoming as much a part of the public image of the company as I am.
Michèle: Yeah. That's another story.
Rick: You were tired of it. I hadn’t really planned on moving here; Michèle was the one that suggested it. I go, "Sure, we could move to Europe. Why not? But do you wanna do that?" And she was like, "Yeah, let’s do it. We'll go on holiday and see how it goes." She packed a little extra for the trip, I noticed, and I remember it was very significant because she never packs very much. [To Michèle] I felt like it meant that you were never going back to LA. You said, "Sure I am" — but she never did go back.
Michèle: I thought we were only going to go to Europe for six months. I love not knowing what's going to happen. As soon as we got here it seemed it was meant to be. I found a place, like, in two weeks.
Rick: You were tired of it. I hadn’t really planned on moving here; Michèle was the one that suggested it. I go, "Sure, we could move to Europe. Why not? But do you wanna do that?" And she was like, "Yeah, let’s do it. We'll go on holiday and see how it goes." She packed a little extra for the trip, I noticed, and I remember it was very significant because she never packs very much. [To Michèle] I felt like it meant that you were never going back to LA. You said, "Sure I am" — but she never did go back.
Michèle: I thought we were only going to go to Europe for six months. I love not knowing what's going to happen. As soon as we got here it seemed it was meant to be. I found a place, like, in two weeks.
Zac: What did you do once you arrived in Paris?
Rick: I was working as Artistic Director at [French fur company] Revillon, and Michèle became very involved in that. That became sort of her thing. And then when we started doing our furniture line, which was meant to be a one-time thing, she took an interest in that and started developing that side of the business. It's kind of become like a village — it's a collaboration between all these different artisans, and that's not my area of expertise.
Rick: I was working as Artistic Director at [French fur company] Revillon, and Michèle became very involved in that. That became sort of her thing. And then when we started doing our furniture line, which was meant to be a one-time thing, she took an interest in that and started developing that side of the business. It's kind of become like a village — it's a collaboration between all these different artisans, and that's not my area of expertise.
Michèle is the people person.
Rick: Right. Michèle is a people person and I'm so not a people person, so it just naturally fell into place because that was where she was happiest, and that was kind of something that I couldn't do. I can be in a factory and bark at people and do patterns and stuff, but I can't seduce results out of temperamental artisans. I can't! I don’t have the patience for that! She loves it, though.
Michèle: The talent that Rick has in developing things… I don't have that. I can work with the artisans, though, and make sure their work is featured in the right places — the right galleries.
Rick: Even in LA, we were always making our own environment, so doing the furniture was a natural progression for us. We've been building a whole world, from fashion to interiors.
Michèle: We’ve been building a big nest.
Rick: When I'm doing the clothes, though, I'm not open about it. I don’t share. It's hard for me to stay focused, so I have to stay closed off. With the clothes, I can't talk about that side of things with anybody. [To Zac] How did you come to Paris?
Rick: Right. Michèle is a people person and I'm so not a people person, so it just naturally fell into place because that was where she was happiest, and that was kind of something that I couldn't do. I can be in a factory and bark at people and do patterns and stuff, but I can't seduce results out of temperamental artisans. I can't! I don’t have the patience for that! She loves it, though.
Michèle: The talent that Rick has in developing things… I don't have that. I can work with the artisans, though, and make sure their work is featured in the right places — the right galleries.
Rick: Even in LA, we were always making our own environment, so doing the furniture was a natural progression for us. We've been building a whole world, from fashion to interiors.
Michèle: We’ve been building a big nest.
Rick: When I'm doing the clothes, though, I'm not open about it. I don’t share. It's hard for me to stay focused, so I have to stay closed off. With the clothes, I can't talk about that side of things with anybody. [To Zac] How did you come to Paris?
By train.
Rick: And when do you go back?
Rick: And when do you go back?
I go back to London tomorrow. That gives me a week to clean six months of dirty dishes and say goodbye to my London life.
Michèle: Oh, you are going to make me cry!
Rick: Have you cried?
Michèle: Oh, you are going to make me cry!
Rick: Have you cried?
I did the other day — I’m going to miss London!
Michèle: It's so nice, crying.
Rick: I almost cried the other day listening to ‘Vogue’ by Madonna.
Michèle: It's so nice, crying.
Rick: I almost cried the other day listening to ‘Vogue’ by Madonna.
Why?
Rick: But it's just a great song [everyone laughs]. I was at the gym. It's such a nostalgic song, but also it's like the solution to all the world's problems, you know? Just get up and vogue! It doesn't matter if you're black or white or a boy or a girl — life's a ball. It was a very profound moment.
Rick: But it's just a great song [everyone laughs]. I was at the gym. It's such a nostalgic song, but also it's like the solution to all the world's problems, you know? Just get up and vogue! It doesn't matter if you're black or white or a boy or a girl — life's a ball. It was a very profound moment.
