Rick Owens at Paris Fashion Week Spring/ Summer 2015

It was not doe-eyed deer that characterized Rick Owens’ Spring/ Summer 2015 “Fawn” display, but the more mature, brooding kind, lurking somewhere in the back of the forest. King of the so-called “glamour meets grunge” aesthetic, Owens’ collection fused ballerina smocks and tutu silhouettes with a murky, arboreal color palette of khakis, grays and of course, fawn.

Drawing inspiration from infamous trend-setters the “Ballets Russes,” Rick Owens’ conception of a ballerina was far from the archetypal pirouetting vision in pink. His ballerina wore high, platform geta-inspired sandals, while lightweight tulle segued into dense folds of black satin in later looks. Sheer could well have been Owens’ watchword: true of both the semi-opacity of bandeau gowns and tunics which comprised the collection, and the steep, vertical lines along which these pieces were cut.

The Spring/ Summer 2015 collection presented at Paris Fashion Week marked a number of firsts for the American designer. Elaborate projections and flares of tulle were noticeable exceptions to his usual “no frills” approach to design and spoke of an ensemble more traditionally feminine than Owens’ usual fare. Notable too, was the injection of something resembling a color scheme into Owens’ traditional, glorious disarray, with the fawns and khakis punctuated by accents of pale pink and baby blue. Panelling was a feature throughout, creating a sense of edginess against the ballerina elegance.