Caring for Your Rick Owens Pieces: Leather, Cotton, and Drape Fabrics
So you’ve finally bought the jacket. Maybe it was a leather biker you saved for months to afford, or 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 now own a garment that rewards a little knowledge and punishes 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 walks through the three fabric families you are most likely to own. Nail these fundamentals and your pieces will outlast most of the rest of your closet.
Leather: The Investment That Asks the Least of You
Leather intimidates people, yet a Rick Owens leather jacket is genuinely one of the simplest things in your closet to look after. The brand leans on lamb and calf nappa, occasionally washed or blistered for that worn-in look, and these hides prefer to be largely left alone. Never machine wash leather and never dry clean it on a whim; a true leather specialist, not a corner dry cleaner, is the only person who should ever treat 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. Treat the leather once or twice annually with a neutral, brand-safe balm, spread thinly and buffed away 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. Treated this way, a $4,000 leather jacket easily lasts fifteen to twenty years and only looks better as it patinas.
Dealing with Rain and Scuffs
Water is leather’s quiet enemy, 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. After it dries, a thin application of conditioner brings back the oils the water removed and keeps it from stiffening. Small scuffs on rick owens hoodie washed nappa often buff out with nothing more than your fingertip and the natural warmth 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. Wipe salt stains from winter pavements away promptly using a barely damp cloth before they set. The guiding idea here is gentle and slow, perfectly matching the worn-in aesthetic the brand prizes anyway.
Cotton: The DRKSHDW Workhorses, Hoodies, and Tees
It’s the cotton pieces, above all anything from DRKSHDW, where most owners inflict the most damage out of 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. Leave out the fabric softener completely, since it coats the fibers and dulls the matte texture that gives these pieces their character. Never use the tumble dryer; hang the garment to air dry, safeguarding both the color and the elongated proportions the design relies on. Laundering it less often than you’d expect is truly the smarter move, as over-washing is the fastest way to a tired-looking hoodie. Observe these rules and a $600 hoodie holds its premium appearance for years rather than mere 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: Where Patience Is Rewarded
Because the fabric content varies and the cut is the entire point, the draped pieces, those flowing tunics, asymmetric skirts, and pooled-hem tops, are the trickiest of the three. Lots of drape garments rely on viscose, rayon, cupro, or silk blends that lose their form if handled carelessly, so read the care label before you do anything. When in doubt, hand wash in cold water with a tiny amount 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 any piece that makes you nervous, a reputable dry cleaner versed in designer garments is money well spent. The drape is what you paid for, so protecting it is the whole job.
Storage and Day-to-Day Habits
Storing these clothes between wears is almost as important as cleaning them. 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. Keep everything out of direct sunlight, which fades the signature blacks and dusts into uneven grays surprisingly fast. 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 small habits cost nothing and add years of life to genuinely expensive clothing.
Common Mistakes That Wreck Good Pieces
Most harm done to Rick Owens garments traces to a handful of avoidable errors, and knowing them beforehand saves plenty of heartache. 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. Close behind is hanging knits and jersey on narrow hangers, stretching the shoulders into permanent bumps that no wash can fix. Many folks like to “freshen up” leather using household wipes or alcohol-based cleaners, which remove the natural oils and turn the hide dry and cracked inside months. Ironing drape fabrics on high heat is another classic disaster, flattening texture and sometimes scorching delicate viscose blends beyond repair. Storing clean-looking but unwashed garments over a season invites moths to feast on invisible body oils. Finally, obsessing over every small scuff or fade misses the point of a label that prizes 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
Part of caring for luxury garments well is 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 stubborn stains on leather or drape fabrics, avoid the DIY fixes you read about online and seek out a cleaner who openly deals with designer garments. 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 the clothes as the long-term objects they are, and they will reward you for it.