Rick Owens Womenswear Collection Notes Just Unveiled

Rick Owens Care Guide: Leather, Cotton, and Drape Fabrics

Whether it was a hard-saved leather biker, a heavyweight cotton hoodie grabbed during a Rick Owens sale, or a draped tunic dearer than your rent. Whatever it was, you’ve finally made the purchase. Whatever it was, you now own a garment that rewards a little knowledge and punishes neglect. Rick Owens pieces aren’t delicate in the high-maintenance sense, yet they’re built from materials that act in particular ways, and handling them like everyday clothes is how people destroy expensive items. The good news: proper care comes down largely to restraint and a handful of simple habits. This guide runs through the three fabric groups you probably own. Nail these fundamentals and your pieces will outlast most of the rest of your closet.

Leather: The Investment That Needs the Least Fuss

A Rick Owens leather jacket is honestly one of the easiest things in your closet to maintain, despite how much leather intimidates people. The brand leans on lamb and calf nappa, occasionally washed or blistered for that worn-in look, and these hides prefer to be largely left alone. Never put leather through the washing machine and never dry clean it casually; only a real leather specialist, not the corner dry cleaner, should ever tackle a stain. Wipe surface dust with a slightly damp cloth and let it air dry away from radiators, since direct heat cracks the grain permanently. Condition the leather once or twice a year with a neutral, brand-safe balm, applied thinly and buffed off after twenty minutes. Hang the jacket on a broad wooden or padded hanger so the shoulders hold their shape, never on a flimsy wire one. Handled this way, a $4,000 leather jacket readily survives fifteen to twenty years and looks better still as the patina develops.

Dealing with Rain and Scuffs

Water is the quiet enemy of leather, yet it’s controllable so long as you act sensibly. Caught in the rain, resist the urge to panic or hit the jacket with a hairdryer; just hang it at room temperature and let Rick Owens official it dry slowly across a day or two. After it dries, a thin application of conditioner brings back the oils the water removed and keeps it from stiffening. Light scuffs on washed nappa usually disappear with no more than a fingertip and your hand’s natural warmth. Deeper scratches can sometimes be massaged less visible, though Rick Owens leather is meant to show character, so resist the urge to chase perfection. Wipe salt stains from winter pavements away promptly using a barely damp cloth before they set. The guiding idea here is gentle and slow, perfectly matching the worn-in aesthetic the brand prizes anyway.

Cotton: Hoodies, Tees, and Those DRKSHDW Workhorses

It’s the cotton pieces, above all anything from DRKSHDW, where most owners inflict the most damage out of simple overconfidence. That heavyweight jersey Rick Owens hoodie feels indestructible, but hot water and aggressive drying will shrink it, fade the dye, and wreck the carefully engineered drape. Always turn cotton garments inside out and wash them in cold water, ideally about 30 degrees Celsius, on a gentle cycle using a mild detergent. Skip the fabric softener entirely, because it coats the fibers and flattens the matte texture that gives these pieces their character. Never tumble dry; hang the garment to air dry, which protects both the dye and the elongated proportions the design depends on. Laundering it less often than you’d expect is truly the smarter move, as over-washing is the fastest way to a tired-looking hoodie. Follow these rules and a $600 hoodie stays looking expensive for years rather than months.

Drape Fabrics: The Payoff Is in the Patience

The draped pieces, those flowing tunics, asymmetric skirts, and pooled-hem tops, are the trickiest of the three because the fabric content varies and the cut is the entire point. Many drape garments use viscose, rayon, cupro, or silk blends that lose their shape if handled roughly, so always read the care label before doing anything. Uncertain? Hand wash in cold water with just a touch of delicate detergent, swishing gently rather than wringing or twisting. Squeeze the water out by sandwiching the garment flat between two towels, then dry it flat and reshape it by hand while it’s still damp. Hanging up a heavy, wet drape piece stretches it unevenly and may permanently warp that carefully considered silhouette. For anything you are nervous about, a reputable dry cleaner experienced with designer garments is money well spent. The drape is what you paid for, so protecting it is the whole job.

Everyday Habits and How You Store Things

Nearly as crucial as cleaning is the way you store these garments between wears. Allow your pieces room to breathe in the wardrobe, as jamming them together wrinkles the drape and crushes the structured shoulders on jackets. Use padded or wide wooden hangers for outerwear and fold heavy knits and hoodies instead of hanging them, since hanging stretches the neckline over time. Keep it all clear of direct sun, which fades the signature blacks and dusts into uneven grays faster than you’d think. A breathable cotton garment bag shields leather and drape pieces from dust without sealing in moisture like plastic does. When storing for the season, clean the garments first, since body oils and unseen stains draw moths and set permanently over the months. These small habits cost nothing and add years of life to genuinely expensive clothing.

The Common Errors That Destroy Good Pieces

Knowing a short list of avoidable errors in advance spares you much heartache, since they cause most of the damage to Rick Owens garments. Top of the list is tossing a heavy hoodie into a hot load with everything else, shrinking the cotton and bleeding the careful dye in a single wash. Right after that comes hanging knits and jersey on thin hangers, pulling the shoulders into permanent bumps no wash will undo. People also love to “freshen up” leather with household wipes or alcohol-based cleaners, which strip the natural oils and leave the hide dry and cracked within months. Ironing drape fabrics on high heat is another classic disaster, flattening texture and sometimes scorching delicate viscose blends beyond repair. Storing clean-looking but unwashed garments over a season invites moths to feast on invisible body oils. Finally, chasing every tiny scuff or fade defeats the point of a brand that celebrates a worn, lived-in patina. Avoid these six habits and you have already done eighty percent of the work.

When to Call a Professional

Understanding your limits is part of caring well for luxury clothing. Any structural repair, a torn lining, a failing zipper, a split seam on a leather jacket, belongs with a specialist rather than a sewing kit and good intentions. Rick Owens stockists and the brand’s own service channels can often advise on repairs, and the official site at rickowens.eu is the right starting point for questions about a specific garment. For deep stains on leather or drape fabrics, resist home remedies you read online and consult a cleaner who explicitly handles designer pieces. The price of a professional clean is negligible next to replacing a four-figure garment you ruined trying to save twenty dollars. Trade guides at outlets like Highsnobiety often tackle designer garment care if you’d like to dig deeper. By 2026, with the brand’s resale values remaining robust, well-maintained pieces are genuinely worth more too if you ever decide to sell. Regard the clothes as the long-term investments they truly are, and they’ll repay you for it.