Rick Owens Care Guide: Leather, Cotton, and Drape Fabrics
So you finally bought the jacket. It might have been a leather biker you spent months saving for, a heavy cotton hoodie you scored during a Rick Owens sale, or a draped tunic pricier than a month’s rent. No matter the piece, you now own a garment that repays a bit of know-how and penalizes neglect. Rick Owens pieces are not delicate in the fussy sense, but they are made from materials that behave in specific ways, and treating them like ordinary clothing is how people ruin expensive things. Happily, looking after them is mostly a matter of restraint and a few easy habits. This guide covers the three fabric families you’re most likely to have. Nail these fundamentals and your pieces will outlast most of the rest of your closet.
Leather: The Big Buy 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. Rick Owens tends toward lamb and calf nappa, at times washed or blistered for the lived-in effect, and such hides want minimal interference. Don’t machine wash leather and don’t dry clean it on impulse: a genuine leather specialist, rather than a corner dry cleaner, is the sole person who should treat any stain. Wipe surface dust with a slightly damp cloth and let it air dry away from radiators, since direct heat cracks the grain permanently. 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. Store the jacket on a wide wooden or padded hanger so the shoulders keep their shape, never on a thin wire one. Handled this way, a $4,000 leather jacket readily survives fifteen to twenty years and looks better still as the patina develops.
Dealing with Rain and Scuffs
Leather’s quiet enemy is water, but it is manageable if 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 rick owens hoodie light pass of conditioner restores any oils the water pulled out and prevents stiffness. Minor scuffs on washed nappa frequently rub away using just your fingertip and the natural heat of your hand. Deeper scratches can occasionally be worked into being less visible, but Rick Owens leather is designed to show character, so fight the urge to chase perfection. Salt stains from winter streets should be wiped promptly with a barely damp cloth before they set. The entire approach here is gentle and unhurried, which fits the lived-in look the brand celebrates anyway.
Cotton: The DRKSHDW Workhorses, Hoodies, and Tees
Most owners wreck the cotton pieces, particularly DRKSHDW, through nothing more than overconfidence. The heavyweight jersey Rick Owens hoodie seems indestructible, but hot water and rough drying shrink it, wash out the dye, and ruin the meticulously 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. Leave out the fabric softener completely, since it coats the fibers and dulls the matte texture that gives these pieces their character. Skip the tumble dryer entirely and hang the garment to air dry, which preserves both the dye and the lengthened proportions the design hinges on. Washing less frequently than you assume is necessary is honestly better, because over-washing is the quickest path to a worn-out hoodie. Stick to these rules and a $600 hoodie keeps its expensive look for years instead of months.
| Fabric | Wash Method | Drying | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather (nappa) | Spot clean only / specialist | Air dry, no heat | Condition 1–2x per year |
| Cotton jersey | Cold, inside out, gentle | Hang air dry | Every 4–6 wears |
| Drape / viscose blends | Hand wash or dry clean | Flat dry, reshape | As needed only |
| Waxed denim | Cold, rarely, inside out | Hang air dry | Every 8–10 wears |
Drape Fabrics: The Payoff Is in the Patience
The draped pieces, meaning the flowing tunics, asymmetric skirts, and pooled-hem tops, are the most demanding 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. Uncertain? Hand wash in cold water with just a touch of delicate detergent, swishing gently rather than wringing or twisting. Press the water out by laying the garment flat between two towels, then dry it flat and reshape it by hand while damp. Hanging up a heavy, wet drape piece stretches it unevenly and may permanently warp 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 Everyday Habits
Almost as much as cleaning matters how you store these clothes between wears. Give your pieces breathing room in the closet, because cramming them together creases the drape and crushes the structured shoulders on jackets. Reach for padded or wide wooden hangers for outerwear, and fold heavy knits and hoodies instead of hanging them up, as hanging gradually stretches the neckline. Store everything away from direct sunlight, which bleaches the signature blacks and dusts into patchy grays surprisingly quickly. Use a breathable cotton garment bag to guard leather and drape pieces from dust while avoiding the moisture plastic traps. When storing for the season, clean the garments first, since body oils and unseen stains draw moths and set permanently over the months. These minor habits cost you nothing yet add years to genuinely pricey clothing.
The Common Errors That Destroy Good Pieces
Most harm done to Rick Owens garments traces to a handful of avoidable errors, and knowing them beforehand saves plenty of heartache. Top of the list is tossing a heavy hoodie into a hot load with everything else, shrinking the cotton and bleeding the careful dye in a single wash. 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. Ironing drape fabrics at high heat is yet another textbook catastrophe, flattening the texture and occasionally scorching delicate viscose blends beyond rescue. Stowing seemingly clean yet unwashed garments through a season hands moths a meal of invisible body oils. Finally, obsessing over every small scuff or fade misses the point of a label that prizes a worn, lived-in patina. Skip these six habits and you’ve effectively done eighty percent of the job.
When It’s Time to Call a Pro
Caring well for luxury garments means knowing your limits. Any structural repair, a torn lining, a failing zipper, a split seam on a leather jacket, belongs with a specialist rather than 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. What a professional clean costs is nothing against replacing a four-figure garment you wrecked 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. Treat these garments as the long-term pieces they are, and they will reward you in return.