While there are a plethora of great shows in Paris this week, there are also just as many bad ones. This wouldn’t be a responsible fashion site if I just picked all the best stuff, so here’s one of my least favorite shows so far: Rick Owens.

From season to season and year to year, we are all force fed with the Rick Owens hype machine. Coerced into believing that his diagonal zippers and clown-like Chuck Taylor-esque shoes are worth the thousands of dollars they demand. Last season we even got to hear about how his fashion show broke both racial AND societal boundaries. Finally, my personal favorite Owens tidbit is how he rejects the word “goth” and just wants to be called a “modernist”. Well, I don’t buy it and his latest collection is a testament to how over-hyped he is. This looks like a bad KTZ knock off by someone who tried to operate outside of his comfort zone and did not succeed. I’m not sure what he was going for here, but this color palate is not working and the collection doesn’t even look in season. Plus more dramatic clown shoes and accessories that no one can wear.

Maybe I’m not as mad at Mr. Owens as I am at the media buzz that surrounds him every season. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate his “dark design” sensibilities and this site is pretty much dedicated to that entire aesthetic. With that being said, there’s always a line you can cross and I think this collection goes way beyond it and loses its direction.

-JRS