Rick Owens Unveils Sustainable Capsule With Swampgod

Alessandra Turra
·2 min read

MILAN — Instagram has turned into one of the most effective arenas for talent scouting.

Venice-based creative Arturo Boem, aka Swampgod, captured the attention of Rick Owens‘ team on the popular social media account, where he posts images of the upcycled garments he likes to work with and customize. Brought to the attention of the American designer, Swampgod was called by the luxury brand to collaborate on a sustainable collection of upcycled pieces, which was presented on Tuesday at Milan’s multibrand store Modes, the exclusive retail partner of the project.

More from WWD

“I am loving the current conversation in the fashion industry about thinking more responsibly about production and waste, and in this positive mood I have asked Swampgod to alter some of our past deadstock in the same scotch tape spirit I started my collections 20 years ago. He ripped our old stock garments apart and reconfigured them into new pieces that end up deconstructing my deconstructions,” Owens said. “I found him on Instagram, of course, and realizing he lived down the island from me on the Lido in Venezia, thought it was a sign and invited him to corrupt and collage at our factory 160 kilometers away, making it a neighborhood project. Doesn’t hurt that he is the perfect model for his own creations.”

Swampgod selected around 40 pieces from Rick Owens’ past collections that he personalized with his signature touch. The capsule includes a range of bomber jackets, sleeveless tops, hoodies, but also accessories and footwear styles, which the young Italian creative decorated with effects mimicking the water stains on Venetian buildings.

“People tend to think about Venice in a very romantic and sweetened way, but us, as residents, we know all the difficulties that we have to face living in the lagoon, the humidity, the gray, the flood water…that’s what I want to tell with my work,” Swampgod said.

As Rick Owens chief executive officer Elsa Lanzo explained that the capsule, which features very limited quantities of each garment — some of the pieces are actually one-of-a-kind — is the first iteration of a project of sustainable capsules that the brand will drop in collaboration with local artists.

Lanzo, who attended the in-store launch of the capsule, also revealed that Owens and his team are gearing up to return to the physical format in September. “We need that, we miss that so much,” she said. “As Rick always says, the show is the real celebration of our work and we cannot wait to return to stage live events.”

SEE ALSO:

H&M Foundation Launches Sustainable ‘Billion Dollar’ Collection

Sustainable Packaging, Free Returns Top-of-Mind for Shoppers

M.I.A. Designs Sustainable Eyewear Capsule With Parley for the Oceans

Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Three California police officers charged in 2021 death of man in custody

    The officers in Alameda, California, pinned Mario Gonzalez, 26, to the ground for about five minutes before he became unresponsive during an arrest on April 19, 2021, according to body camera footage the city released after his death. Gonzalez's death in Alameda, a city of nearly 80,000 people adjacent to Oakland, occurred the day before a Minneapolis jury convicted former policeman Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd, amid nationwide protests against police violence and racial inequality. The three officers charged on Thursday were dispatched to a park to check on Gonzalez in 2021 after residents reported a man was loitering and talking to himself, according to recordings of 911 emergency calls released by the city.

  • Ethics investigators asking about Matt Gaetz’s alleged drug use, report says

    Panel has obtained sworn written statement from female witness to party in Florida. Mr Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing

  • Civilian employees vote to return to work at eastern Ontario military facilities

    The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says striking civilian staff at military facilities in Kingston, Ottawa and Petawawa have accepted a deal to return to work, while staff at bases in Bagotville, Montreal–St-Jean and Valcartier voted it down and will remain off the job.Nearly 500 civilian employees across these locations took to the picket lines in mid-January seeking higher pay among other demands.According to their union, the workers support Canada's military members in areas such as

  • Bottle exchanges close in face of stricter requirements

    Two New Brunswick bottle exchanges have permanently shut their doors and several others in the province are in danger of folding as they struggle to meet the stricter requirements of a new system. Caissie's Recycling, which operated in Rogersville for 32 years, and Recyclage Kent Recycling in Saint-Louis de Kent have both called it a day, forcing people in those eastern communities to travel up to one hour to return cans, bottles and other containers for which they paid a deposit and are owed mo

  • IMF committee acknowledges conflicts risk but opts against joint communique

    The International Monetary Fund's steering committee failed to issue a joint communique on Friday amid disagreements over wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, opting instead for a statement from the body's chair that acknowledged the economic risks posed by the conflicts. International Monetary and Financial Committee "members discussed the global macroeconomic and financial impact of current wars and conflicts including the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the shipping disruptions in the Red Sea," Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, the body's chair, said in a statement.

  • Police open investigation into American Idol star Mandisa’s death aged 47

    Singer’s cause of death is not yet known

  • SAP SE (SAP) Stock Price Increased Significantly in Q1

    Polen Capital, an investment management company, released its “Polen Global Growth Strategy” first-quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the first quarter, the fund increased 8.10% gross and 7.81% net, respectively, trailing the MSCI ACW Index’s 8.20% return. The market dynamics that were in place at the end […]

  • Red-shouldered hawk rescued after being caught in net at Topgolf in Overland Park

    Red-shouldered hawk rescued after being caught in net at Topgolf in Overland Park

  • I got lip filler at home - here's what you need to know

    I got lip filler from Carriages of Harley Street, the mobile aesthetics clinic that provides filler, botox, and other treatments at your door, and this is what I really thought.

  • RFK Jr’s environmental colleagues beg him to drop presidential campaign after Kennedy family endorses Biden

    The scathing letter refers to Robert F Kennedy Jr as a ‘dangerous conspiracy theorist’ and ‘science denier’

  • Trump media shares gain as it alerts Nasdaq of 'potential market manipulation'

    Trump Media & Technology Group has alerted the CEO of Nasdaq of "potential market manipulation" in its shares, it disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Data made available to us indicate that just four market participants have been responsible for over 60% of the extraordinary volume of DJT shares traded: Citadel Securities, Virtu Americas, G1 Execution Services and Jane Street Capital."

  • UPDATE 1-Apple's offer to open up tap-and-go tech to be approved by EU next month, sources say

    Apple's offer to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to rivals is set to be approved by EU antitrust regulators as soon as next month after it tweaked some of the terms, people familiar with the matter said. Apple's bid to settle the four-year investigation would help it dodge a finding of wrongdoing and stave off a potential hefty fine that could be as much as 10% of its global annual turnover. Apple's tap-and-go technology called near-field communication, or NFC, allows for contactless payments with mobile wallets.

  • Peacock who roamed town for six months is finally rescued

    A noisy peacock which has evaded capture while roaming the streets for six months has finally been rescued.

  • Playoff-less Penguins want to sign up Sidney Crosby long-term. Might be easy part of busy offseason

    PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins eventually became the team Kyle Dubas envisioned in his first season as the club's general manager/director of hockey operations. That evolution, however, came a touch too late for Sidney Crosby and company to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh's spirited 8-2-3 closing kick left it outside of the postseason looking in for a second straight year. That's simply not good enough, and Dubas knows it. “When things don’t turn out well, that falls on the person in my

  • Emma Raducanu vs Iga Swiatek LIVE: Updates and scores from Tennis Grand Prix quarter-finals in Stuttgart

    The 21-year-old Brit has returned to form but now faces the world No1 in the last eight of the Porsche Grand Prix

  • CIP grant aids downtown building renovation in Dundalk

    A grant of $10,000 to AC Capital Rentals will help fund replacement of the roof over Dundalk Auto Glass space. Economic development officer Brenna Carroll presented the application and got council approval in March for the application under the Community Improvement Plan program. The program, aimed at improving downtown and commercial throughout the township hasn’t received many applications. Ms Carroll is promoting the program while she does related economic development work. STEEL ROOF PLANNED

  • Liz Truss accused of using ‘fabricated’ Rothschild quote in new memoir

    Former PM’s publisher reportedly forced to apologise over use of ‘fabricated’ quote

  • Wall Street 'fear gauge' flashes as volatility dogs US stocks

    A cocktail of interest rate anxiety and geopolitical tensions is keeping U.S. stock investors defensive and driving Wall Street’s most closely watched volatility gauge to its highest level in half a year. With the S&P 500 down nearly 5% from its late March record closing high, the Cboe Volatility Index broke above 20 overnight as tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, its highest since late October. Often called Wall Street's "fear gauge," the VIX is an options-based measure of investor demand for protection against near-term stock swings.

  • Prince Harry wins latest High Court legal round against The Sun publisher

    But the Duke of Sussex could still follow in the footsteps of Hugh Grant and choose to settle out of court

  • Woman found dead at luxury Bagshot hotel as man arrested on suspicion of murder

    Body of woman in her 50s found at Pennyhill Park Hotel over weekend with murder suspect in police custody