Rick Owens Dunk | EU 43

As one of the most prominent figures in contemporary design and aesthetic, Rick Owens and his eponymous Paris-based label have become revered for his gothic and dark luxury. First releasing his label on Hollywood Boulevard in the early nineties, Rick Owens was inspired by the street on which he worked and the black-and-white films of 1930s Los Angeles. From sharp-shouldered, draping gowns, to drop-crotch trousers - the Rick Owens brand pushed a bold and unapologetic look into the mainstream. With personalities and icons across industries such as A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Russell Westbrook, and Vera Wang seeking out his unique designs, his importance in the design and fashion world cannot be understated.

This silhouette was first seen at the Rick Owens MOOG FW05 - but in just two colorways. Properly introduced to the public the following year as part of the Rick Owens FW06 collection, these were the first sneakers made by the brand. Owens stated: “sports shoes were never my thing, the only reason I started making them was because they frustrated me. They were a little too prosaic. I wanted to exoticize them.” With this new approach he made a parody of leading sneaker brands - leaning heavily on motifs from Puma, Nike, and adidas - and his pairs were some of the first sneakers to be sold at luxury product prices. These luxury prices for sneakers started to shape an era where the definitions of what luxury footwear was could be pushed and tested.

From a design standpoint, the pairs overlays were famously compared to the Nike Swoosh and Puma stripe, and ultimately the Rick Owens brand replaced the Dunk with the Rick Owens Geobasket - a design still offered to this day. Geobaskets replaced the controversial side swooshes and replaced the famous colorways of the original Dunks. Models from the final Dunk era are highly sought after due to their shadowy backstory.

The pair features a black premium leather base with ivory overlays. The Dunk was produced in a high cut, with an oversized tongue - and featured a Rick Owens graphic on the interior. Up the medial ankle is a chunky zip, and the soles are stapled at the rear - a signature of all his older sneaker models.