Rick Owens ‘Owenscorp, Concordia,’

This piece appears as part of “Not In Paris,” an online exhibition hosted and curated by Highsnobiety. Head here to see the full series.

Concordia sulla Secchia is a commune in Northern Italy that boasts a population just shy of 8,500 residents. It’s about 19 miles away from Modena, the country’s sports car capital, where the companies Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati originate. But in this relatively quiet village, sleek, artisanal pieces also known for their clean lines have been produced for nearly two decades.

Inside a nondescript light gray building (which cuts an ideal contrast with Concordia sulla Secchia’s idyllic blue skies), is Owenscorp Italia S.p.A., the Italian atelier of designer Rick Owens. Other than the sans-serif typeface denoting the “OWENSCORP BAR” near the entrance, it would be easy to miss the otherwise unassuming facade where over 100 people bring Owens’ signature aesthetic universe to life.

Until now, no one has really gotten the chance to look inside. Shot by Rick Owens on his iPhone and featuring the eclectic crew at Owenscorp Italia, he gives us a look at how he’s been making do in isolation.

Check out the ten-minute short film above, and Owens’ statement about it below:

“I SHOT THIS VIDEO IN CONCORDIA ITALY THE WEEK MY FACTORY WAS RE-OPENED RIGHT AFTER QUARANTINE SANCTIONS WERE LIFTED. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITH ME FOR ALL OF THE 18 YEARS I HAVE BEEN GOING THERE. THERE HAVE BEEN WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, EARTHQUAKES, AND BABIES. IN THE EARLY YEARS, I SLEPT ON A COUCH IN MY OFFICE SINCE THERE WERE NO HOTELS CLOSE BY, LATER IN A NEWLY OPENED MOTEL OVER A GAS STATION, AND THEN, AFTER 15 YEARS, IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT ACROSS THE STREET. BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION, PATTERN-MAKING, CUTTING, AND SEWING DEPARTMENTS, 110 PEOPLE WORK IN THIS CENTER. THIS IS A TYPICAL DAY IN OUR LIVES TOGETHER.”

Are you also “Not In Paris?” Not to worry, you too can join in on the non-gathering with our exclusive set of merch. Shop the collection here.