Rick Owens

Rick Owens (b. 1961, Porterville, California) is a designer renowned for his avant-garde fashion and furniture creations. After studying painting and pattern-making in Los Angeles, Owens launched his eponymous fashion line in 1994. His unique vision - which fuses archaism, modernism and brutalist beauty with classical luxury - quickly gained recognition in the fashion sphere. In 2005, Owens expanded his creative repertoire by introducing a furniture collection. His inspiration is broad-ranging, drawing from 20th-century icons like Le Corbusier, Donald Judd, and Constantin Brâncuși, alongside the aesthetics of California skateparks. Owens’ approach to furniture design is deeply personal, as he describes it: “Making furniture is my version of couture. It’s time-consuming, artisanal work made in limited quantities in rare materials, customized for my favorite client, my better half, the Hun” – referring to his wife and creative partner, Michèle Lamy. His work is characterized by the use of raw, elemental materials like plywood, marble, and moose antlers.

Michèle Lamy (b. 1944, Jura, France) is an artist, entrepreneur, and creative force who defies simple categorization. With a background in philosophy and law, Lamy brings a unique perspective to her creative endeavors. As the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Art and Furniture at Owenscorp, she plays a crucial role in the execution and curation of their furniture projects. Lamy works closely with artisans in the construction process, bringing her sensitivity and artistic vision to each piece. Her approach to furniture-making is deeply rooted in craftsmanship and expression. In 2014, Lamy created ‘LAMYLAND,’ an umbrella term for her independent projects, which often involve architectural installations functioning as communal gathering spaces for performances (some her own) and social engagement. Her collaborative spirit and ability to bring together diverse creative talents have been instrumental in shaping the aesthetic of their furniture designs.

Together, Owens and Lamy form an unrivaled creative partnership; their collaborative process is a delicate balance of Owens’ design vision and Lamy’s hands-on approach with craftsmen. As Owens notes, “She’s the one directly working on the construction with her craftsman, and artisanal workers; it’s about coaxing something special and lovingly out of a sensitive creative spirit.”

In 2007, Owens showed his first furniture collection at Jousse Entreprise, Paris and was awarded the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. Salon 94 hosted the first exhibition of Rick Owens Furniture in New York, titled “Pavane for a Dead Princess”, in 2010, which saw the gallery transformed into a contemporary sleeping quarter based on their own Parisian home and inspired by French composer Maurice Ravel’s composition for solo piano, written in 1899. The exhibition showcased their mastery of materials such as Spanish alabaster and sheared mink.

Rick Owens’ designs have since been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art (LA MOCA), Los Angeles, CA, Musée d’Art Moderne and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR.