How Rick Owens Are Made Italian Leather

Looking After Your Rick Owens Pieces: Leather, Cotton, and Drape Fabrics

Maybe it was a leather biker you saved for months to afford, a heavyweight cotton hoodie you snagged during a Rick Owens sale, or a draped tunic that cost more than your monthly rent. Whatever it was, you’ve finally made the purchase. No matter the piece, you now own a garment that repays a bit of know-how and penalizes neglect. Rick Owens garments aren’t fragile in the fussy way, but they use materials that behave distinctively, and treating them as ordinary clothing is exactly how people wreck pricey things. The good news is that proper care is mostly about restraint and a few simple habits. This guide covers the three fabric families you’re most likely to have. Get these basics right and your pieces will outlive most of the rest of your wardrobe.

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, even though leather scares people. The brand favors lamb and calf nappa, sometimes washed or blistered for that lived-in look, and these hides want to be left mostly 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. Clear surface dust using a faintly damp cloth and allow it to air dry clear of radiators, as direct heat cracks the grain for good. Feed the leather once or twice a year using a neutral, brand-safe balm, applied in a thin layer 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.

Handling Rain and Scuffs

Water is the quiet enemy of leather, yet it’s controllable rick owens so long as you act sensibly. If you get caught in rain, do not panic and do not blast the jacket with a hairdryer; just hang it at room temperature and let it dry slowly over a day or two. Once dry, a light pass of conditioner restores any oils the water pulled out and prevents stiffness. 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 whole philosophy here is gentle and slow, which suits the lived-in aesthetic the brand celebrates anyway.

Cotton: The DRKSHDW Workhorses, Hoodies, and Tees

The cotton pieces, especially anything from DRKSHDW, are where most owners do the most damage through 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. Washing less frequently than you assume is necessary is honestly better, because over-washing is the quickest path to a worn-out hoodie. Observe these rules and a $600 hoodie holds its premium appearance for years rather than mere months.

Drape Fabrics: Where Patience Pays Off

The flowing tunics, asymmetric skirts, and pooled-hem tops of the drape category are the hardest of the three, since the fabric content varies and the cut is the whole point. A great many drape pieces are made from viscose, rayon, cupro, or silk blends that go shapeless under rough handling, so always check the care label first. When in doubt, hand wash in cold water with a tiny amount 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 a heavy wet drape piece stretches it unevenly and can permanently distort 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 the reason you bought it, so preserving it is the whole point.

Storage and Day-to-Day Habits

Almost as much as cleaning matters how you store these clothes between wears. Leave your pieces some breathing space in the closet, since packing them tightly creases the drape and flattens 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. Use a breathable cotton garment bag to guard leather and drape pieces from dust while avoiding the moisture plastic traps. Before putting things away for the season, wash them, because body oils and invisible stains lure moths and become permanent over months. Such little habits are free and tack years of life onto truly expensive clothes.

Common Mistakes That Ruin 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. The number one offender is tossing a heavyweight hoodie into a hot wash with everything else, which shrinks the cotton and bleeds the careful dye in a single cycle. Not far behind is putting knits and jersey on narrow hangers, which warps the shoulders into permanent lumps that no laundering fixes. People are also fond of “freshening up” leather with household wipes or alcohol-based cleaners, which strip away the natural oils and leave the hide dry and cracked within months. Pressing drape fabrics on high heat is another classic blunder, crushing texture and at times scorching delicate viscose blends past saving. Storing clean-looking but unwashed garments over a season invites moths to feast on invisible body oils. Lastly, hunting down every little scuff or fade undermines the whole idea of a brand that celebrates a worn, lived-in patina. Steer clear of these six habits and you’ve already handled eighty percent of the work.

When to Bring in a Professional

Understanding your limits is part of caring well for luxury clothing. Any structural fix, a ripped lining, a dying zipper, a burst seam on a leather jacket, calls for a specialist instead of a sewing kit and good intentions. Rick Owens stockists and the label’s own service channels will often advise on repairs, with the official site at rickowens.eu being the right first stop for queries about a specific piece. For deep stains on leather or drape fabrics, resist home remedies you read online and consult a cleaner who explicitly handles designer pieces. The cost of a professional clean is trivial compared with replacing a four-figure garment you damaged trying to save twenty dollars. Industry guides at outlets like Highsnobiety frequently cover designer garment care if you want to read further. In 2026, with resale values for the brand holding strong, well-maintained pieces are also genuinely worth more if you ever sell. Regard the clothes as the long-term investments they truly are, and they’ll repay you for it.