On Rick Owens' L'Ai Je Bien Descendu?

Like the classical structure of Rick Owens' own physical body, L'Ai Je Bien Descendu? (How Did You Like My Descent?) has a strong physical and metaphysical presence.

Contradictory to the monumental structure of the book, once opened its pages are filled with a plethora of questioning, dark, grainy, black and white photographs mostly taken by Owens himself.

The most notable image perhaps is a double exposed photograph of Rick Owens pissing into the mouth of Rick Owens. This, of course, takes the subject matter out of the realm of fashion and fashion designers into the psychological realm, which makes one confused as to whether they are looking at a fashion designers' monograph or that of a conceptual artist, much in the vain as Yoko Ono or Vito Acconci.

How Did You Like My Descent? comes packaged with a sheer garter belt-like material, which the audience must slide off and discard in order to even get to the first page of the book. Not a very different experience than undressing a lover, or even a dancer for that matter.

The book was after all titled in honor of Owens' favorite cabaret dancer in Paris, who infamously would make a long anticipated entrance, then turning to the audience would ask "how did you like my descent?"