“The world around us is impossible to ignore so the only way to go is parody.” This was the ethos around which Rick Owens built his latest collection. Returning to the familiar setting of the Palais de Tokyo, the show, titled Tower, took place inside the building, rather than around the venue’s famous fountain.

Throughout the collection, a distinct police and militaristic vibe ran through the designs. Initially, he stripped epaulettes from shirts and jackets, wary of their militaristic connotations. But why try to hide the world we live in? Police boots appeared deliberately bloated, available in colourways named Butch Black, Dominating Dust and Mincy Mauve. (In interviews, he has joked that he wanted to add another shade, Cock Sucker Khaki, but his team talked him out of it.) There were also jackets constructed from Kevlar, a material best known for its use in stab-proof vests.

As is typical of Rick Owens, the true stars of the show were the materials and craftsmanship on display. Outerwear was cut from waxy cowhide, tanned in Himeji and produced by an atelier in Atsugi, both in Japan. Sack coats were constructed from brushed and washed alpaca wool woven in Tuscany, while heavy black denim and canvas were sourced in Japan and washed in Italy. Behind the collection stood a whole village of artisans, including London-based, recent CSM graduate Lucas Moretti, who collaborated with Owens on the hand-tied macramé masks seen throughout the show.