RICK OWENS 'RICKZILLA' WAX FIGURE FOR THE TOKYO FLAGSHIP STORE

WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE HOUSE WE LIVE IN IN PARIS SOME YEARS AGO, I HAD A WAX FIGURE OF MYSELF MADE AS A PERSONAL PORTRAIT OVER THE FIREPLACE EXPERIENCE. I FELT AS IF I HAD TO RECORD THE MOMENT IN A VERY CLASSICAL WAY. I WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE IMPLICATIONS INVOLVED— TRYING TO CLUTCH A MOMENT OF GLORY THAT WOULD BE ALL TOO BRIEF IN A SELF ABSORBED MORBID EXAMINATION OF MY OWN MORTALITY. I ALSO HAD IT SHIRTLESS & URINATING OF COURSE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT BECAME TIRESOME SEEING IT IN THE HOUSE & SO I HAD IT INSTALLED IN THE PARIS STORE WHICH WAS TOO BEAUTIFUL & NEEDED A DISTURBING ELEMENT. AS WE OPENED MORE STORES, IT BECAME WEIRDLY ESSENTIAL FOR EACH STORE TO HAVE ONE. LONDON HAS A SEVERED HEAD ON A PLINTH IN HONOR OF OSCAR WILDE'S SALOME, KOREA'S HAS JETS OF AIR MAKING THE HAIR FLY AROUND & JAPAN'S IS ON THE WAY.

THE STORE IN TOKYO HAS BEEN OPEN FOR 2 YEARS BUT THIS FIGURE TOOK A WHILE. FOR SOME REASON, IT TOOK THE ARTISANS A COUPLE OF TRIES TO GET THE CORRECT FACIAL TEXTURE & THE RIGHT IRIS SIZE IN THE EYES. THE TORSO IS SHIRTLESS & MORPHS INTO A DISTORTED MONSTER LEG ENDING IN A CLAW, INSPIRED BY GODZILLA.

OF COURSE I'M HAVING IT RECALLED & REGRET I EVER THOUGHT OF IT.


[TEXT FROM RICK'S DIARY FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES

/ THE FULL ARTICLE IS ONLINE AT SOME/THINGS PRESS]