Bliss Foster's video: Understanding Rick Owens - Sisyphus Fall 2018

Runway analysis of Rick Owens Fall 2018 “Sisyphus”. We dissect the full shownotes and looks to decipher the symbolism, references and the artfulness behind the collection. If you want to watch the full episode, support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlissFoster Follow me on IG: https://instagram.com/BlissFoster Follow me on Twitter: https://Twitter.com/BlissFoster FULL SHOWNOTES: THIS WOMEN’S FALL/WINTER COLLECTION FOLLOWS THE MEN’S FALL/WINTER COLLECTION IN BEING TITLED SISYPHUS AFTER THE ARROGANT KING IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY WHO WAS PUNISHED BY ZEUS TO REPEATEDLY ROLL A BOULDER UP A HILL ONLY TO HAVE IT ROLL BACK DOWN AGAIN. ETERNALLY. WE MIGHT INTERPRET THIS AS A STORY ABOUT FUTILITY, OR AS A STORY OF PATTERNS MONOTONOUSLY REPEATING THEMSELVES WITHOUT PROGRESSION. FOR THE MEN’S SHOW I WAS FOCUSED ON CYCLES OF CULTURAL BACKPEDALING AND DISAPPOINTING SOCIAL SHIFTS BUT FOR THE WOMEN’S SHOW THE FOCUS IS ON SEDUCTION. CLOTHES ARE COMMUNICATION AND THE MESSAGE IS OFTEN ONE OF SEDUCTION. BUT TOWARDS WHAT RESULTS? IN THE PAST THERE HAVE BEEN MOMENTS OF ALMOST GROTESQUE PHYSICAL DISTORTION IN THE NAME OF SEDUCTION — PANNIERS, BUSTLES... IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE THIS KIND OF DELIBERATELY SLY EXAGGERATION WAS EMBRACED. ALTHOUGH THE BULBOUS BAGS AND BACKPACKS IN MY RECENT COLLECTIONS CAN EASILY READ ‘REFUGEE’, I HAVE PRINCIPALLY DEPLOYED THEM AS EXCUSES TO CREATE CREDIBLE VOLUMES ON THE BODY. PADDING HERE ISN’T NECESSARILY ABOUT PROTECTION, BUT ABOUT VOLUPTUOUSNESS AND A CRUDE SUMPTUOUSNESS. TUNICS IN CAMEL HAIR AND LINEN FELT ARE PACKED WITH GOOSE DOWN TO SWADDLE AND ENVELOP THE BODY IN UNEVEN INDENTATIONS AND EXTENSIONS TO ABSTRACT THE FIGURE. COLORS ARE MUTED AND BLEAK. COATS, MANTLES, AND MEGAPARKAS ARE WORN OVER CASHMERE RUNNING SHORTS PAIRED WITH GENERIC LOOKING TRACK SHOES OVERSIZED WORK SHIRTS, CARGOCHAPS, AND SHOES ARE CONSTRUCTED IN A SYNTHETIC SHEARLING THAT TRAILS LOOSE FILAMENTS OF RECYCLED POLYESTER YARN IN AN OUT-OF-CONTROL HAZE AND SOME COATS AND T-SHIRTS HAVE BEEN HAND-PAINTED IN ROUGH, THICK RESIN BRUSHSTROKES. COATS ARE PIECED AND PATCHED TOGETHER IN COMPOSITIONS RIPPING OFF BAUHAUS ARCHITECTURE, WITH DEEP NUTRIA-LINED PATCH POCKETS. THE ARTE POVERA SEDUCTION PROPOSED HERE IS A RAW AND INDIRECT ONE. SOME MAY CALL IT ANTI- SEDUCTION. BUT WHAT ARE THE SEDUCTION RULES AND WHOSE AUTHORITY DO I ACCEPT IN DEFINING THEM? THE MUSIC ACCOMPANYING THIS SHOW IS SEVERAL VERSIONS OF A 1950S SHOW TUNE ‘BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS’, A SONG ABOUT DRESSING, SEDUCTION, AND EXPECTATIONS. THE WISTFUL, YEARNING LYRICS CAN STRIKE A CHORD BECAUSE WE CAN ALL IDENTIFY, WHILE WE ALSO SMILE RUEFULLY AT ITS SIMPLISTIC MESSAGE IN THESE COMPLICATED TIMES (I HAVE ALWAYS DEFINED CAMP AS A CYNICS EXCUSE TO EMBRACE SENTIMENTALITY). MAKEUP MAC COSMETICS AND SAMMY MOURABIT HAIR DUFFY (STREETERS) PRODUCTION LA MODE EN IMAGES MUSIC ‘BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS’ BY MARLENE DIETRICH, LIZA MINNELLI, PEGGY LEE, AND EYDIE GORMÉ (REMIXED BY JEFF JUDD)