MeMoMu_ELCWOMF_016 i-D : WHEN ENDEL LEPP / RICK OWENS CALLS, KUMARI VAIM / BERNARDO MARTINS PICKS UP
*
*
i-D :
When Rick Owens Calls, Bernardo Martins Picks Up
For Fall 2026, Rick Owens tapped digital artist Bernardo Martins to shape the show’s eerie beauty direction.
Fashion
•
Marley Wendt
•
JANUARY 25, 2026
What would you do if Rick Owens called you on a random Tuesday? For Berlin-based Brazilian artist Bernardo Martins, that’s exactly what happened—and just two days later, he was collaborating on the designer’s Fall 2026 show. Known as @figa.link, Martins has built a following for his generative portraits, images created with AI software tools, that flirt with beauty and unease. Dark and grotesque, they blur the line between what’s real and the synthetic.
For the Rick Owens show, Martins’ digital faces stepped off-screen for the first time. His archive was used as a reference for the beauty team, hairstylist Duffy and makeup artist Daniel Sällström, who transposed the features of the artist’s imagined figures onto the models.
Still coming down from the high of the show, we spoke with Martins about his work and what it feels like when someone truly gets it.
Marley Wendt: How did the collaboration between you and Rick Owens come about?
Bernardo Martins: Rick reached out to me, and we quickly joined forces. He seemed to really understand the underlying emotions of the work, and it was extremely surprising and humbling to communicate something so personal without having to say a word.
In the press release, Rick Owens describes your work as “a reactive protest to the conditions around us.” What conditions are you responding to?
We are living in very tense and conservative times. My exit from Brazil in 2019 was driven by the political climate there at the time. Things were supposed to go back to the way they were, but they didn’t. When working with portraits, I express myself through non-existent people, which says a lot about me and my inner feelings.
How was the transition from being a digital artist to working IRL on a fast-paced runway show?
It was a very inspiring opportunity. Both Duffy and Daniel, who led hair and makeup, were able to bring their creative techniques and expertise to develop what I had previously, thought was impossible.
Can you walk me through your step-by-step process of creating the looks?
This was a moment to dissect my image archive, so we collaboratively narrowed down the elements that would translate IRL. I was happy to have the opportunity to pause and analyze what I’ve done so far.
Is there any particular reaction you are interested in provoking through your work?
No, not at all. Some people see my work as absolutely horrendous, and some see beauty in it. Both are valid. What I appreciate, though, is the absence of indifference.
What was your favorite aspect of the collaboration?
Realizing that the zeitgeist is here. The more I learned about Rick’s intentions with the collection, the more inspired I felt to keep going. It was also a powerful reminder that community exists.
Kommentaarid
Postita kommentaar