Why Rick Owens Made "BIG & JUICY" Athleisure With Champion (EXCLUSIVE)
Rick Owens and Champion’s collaborative endeavors are always wonderfully quirky. Owens' latest is "big and juicy."
Ever since their debut collaboration back in 2019, the pair have continued to infuse the eccentric (and often totally bizarre) visions of Owens with the more traditional, athleisure world of Champion — and to good effect, too.
If nothing else, Owens likes it.
"I like the big plain t with the big juicy embroidered logo," he tells Highsnobiety. "I actually hand-drew my own logo based on a combination of the champion logo and a 1930s Jean Patou label... which kinda sums me up. A blunt American translation of a Euroglam dream.
On paper, a Rick Owens x Champion collaboration probably shouldn’t work. The two brands are arguably the antithesis of each other: whereas Owens is all about championing (sorry) the unconventional, Champion instead focuses on celebrating conventional comforts.
Yet, when melded together, Owens’ Champion just, well, it works.
"I exaggerated volumes and lengths but tried to keep it simple and let the graphics do all the work," Owens explained. "I use a pentagram as a symbol of otherness and a vote against smug and intolerant judgment."
Of course, this means that at a glance the collection is unmistakably Owens. But take a closer look and you’ll soon realize Champion’s influence.
Because for every touch of monochromatic flair and Rick Owens quirkiness, there’s sweatshirt and sweatpants that still embody Champion’s essence of comfort and style.
There are shorts, vest tank tops, and a fresh addition: the Jumbo Windbreaker, a piece exemplary of Owens and Champion’s focus on both innovation and functionality.
This means clothes you can actually work out in, which Owens purports to do (his routine: "chest, tris, lats, stomach," followed by "shoulders, biceps, stomach," and "squats, calves, stomach... Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat).
As always, the collection, which officially lands on May 9, also features a plethora of accessories designed to accentuate and elevate any outfit. From tote bags to sleek caps and belt bags, each look adds an inherently Owens touch of flair to a look that’s meticulously curated for the discerning wearer.
Simply, Owens’ Spring/Summer 2024 collection is much of the same. Which, especially for those who appreciate the wild juxtaposition of outlandish comfort, can only be good news.
"Leave your mark by joining the force of love," Owens says, who when asked what he Champions (get it?) offers a single word: "Tolerance."
