What happened to Rick Owens in China?
The news only started circulating yesterday, but the fact occurred on October 15, when Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy and the co-founders of Fecal Matter, Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran were escorted out of the Forbidden City in Beijing for their clothing considered inappropriate.
Rick Owens was in China for the Moncler event, City of Genius, which also saw A$AP Rocky among the protagonists and which is spoken of as the most spectacular fashion event ever.
Palace security escorted the four visitors out and asked them to “remove their makeup and change into normal clothes” before being allowed to enter the historic and UNESCO heritage site. Obviously they refused, claiming that with their clothing they promote freedom of expression.
This story has sparked a debate in the Chinese press and media, which are unanimous in supporting what the Beijing Daily wrote: «it is not that these people's freedom to dress is not respected, but rather that they do not respect history and culture Chinese”.
It must be said that Rick Owens is highly regarded in China, but, as local media point out
«When you visit a country, you are expected to follow local customs, especially when visiting places of historical, cultural or religious significance. If you can't respect it, just stay in your country.”
For its part, Fecal Matter commented on the story by writing on its social profiles: “we respect and accept that we do not have access to the whole world. It's the price we pay for being ourselves without compromising our values.”
