Modesty isn’t a word you’d associate with Rick Owens’ oeuvre. Sexed-up, subversive designs geared towards a dystopian, grunge-led future is what’s to be expected. However, this season, he looked to the Victorian era for inspiration: a time when dressing to suppress one’s sensuality was the look du jour. After Queen Victoria’s husband Albert died, she spent 40 years mourning his death, choosing to only wear black – a colour that has fittingly dominated Owens’ work since the beginning.

Longtime muse Tyrone Dylan opened the show wearing a cape that cut across the chest to expose his torso, both cloaking and revealing the body at once. Gilets with extreme shoulders were made more prominent by being styled with small shorts; sleeveless, longline tunics with geometric leather panelling appeared militant and reserved. Denim skirts were so distressed they descended into rags around the hemline while an oversized bomber that had been stained yellow was treated to the same process, made to look as if it was delicately rotting at its base. Extreme padded jackets – or “duvet donuts” as Owens referred to them – twisted in on themselves, swaddling models in fabric with their arms obediently pinned to their sides.

Fingerless leather bike gloves or long iterations with zip detailing added a rebellious touch to ensembles. The designer’s iconic platform boots built with statement ridged soles and clear plastic heels received an update to make them even more imposing. In essence, prudishness became provocative in Owen’s retelling of Victorian dress, where an air of sensuality still existed beneath the shrouded surface.