In Rick Owens’ exhibit displaying the logo of the United Farm Workers, he displays the struggles faced by Mexican immigrants. On a symbolic level, Rick Owens shows the often overlooked process of gathering fresh produce that involves the labor of farmers, painting an ominous picture of their mistreatment. This piece directly correlates to Rick Owens values of gender identity and the mistreatment of Mexican immigrant. In a sense, his piece seems not to be tailored towards one gender over the other, but more towards emphasizing a universal message.
Overall, his representation of immigrant struggles comes through in his presentation of the United Farm Workers logo, an organization that is known to advocate for immigrant farmers. Through Owens choice of representing the United Farm Workers association by means of a logo, he sends an explicit message about the struggles that are often overlooked in the process of attaining everyday foods. His interest in contrasting the informal T-Shirt containing the logo of the United Farm Workers with the formal attire of a Suit is meant to represent the dissonance between different modes of normality and formality.
Furthermore, Owens’ lack of direction in the categorization of genders is synonymous with his fluid gender identity. This lack of gender identity catalyzes the universal message he’s trying to portray in the sense that it is applicable to anyone. In that sense, Owens’ design choices contribute to an inclusive theme facilitated by deliberate choices in the realm of gender identity. A sense of Rick Owens’ personality also shines through the piece, highlighting his experience as a bisexual man.
In conclusion, Rick Owens’ design choices greatly influence surrounding narratives of immigrants and the mistreatment of farmers while also revealing a sense of identity that stems from within Rick Owens’ gender identity. His piece really reveals the importance of facilitating a cause despite the overwhelming obstacles within his way.
I like how you mentioned the juxtaposition of pairing the UFW logo t-shirt with a suit. I also interpreted it as bringing awareness to the issue, but I think that some could also interpret it as exploiting the struggles of farmers for fashion by romanticizing it in a way. This is just another instance of how different experiences and values bring different perspectives.