Rick Owens SS26 Temple Gown

A floor-length gown in one hundred percent cotton jersey is an unusual proposition and a very good one. Jersey is a knit, so it moves with the body and needs no fastening, and cotton jersey in particular is matte, soft, and entirely without the sheen that announces evening wear. What you get is a full-length dress that reads as undramatic until you see the back.

The back is the design. It is cut low, well past where a conventional gown stops, and then slit at the centre so the opening continues down. That is a great deal of drama placed exactly where the wearer will never see it, which is a habit of this house worth pointing out again.

The name is not incidental. Spring/Summer 2026 is titled Temple, shown at the Palais de Tokyo, and it arrived alongside the Palais Galliera’s retrospective of Owens’s work, called Temple of Love, which ran from June 2025 into January 2026. It is unusual for a designer to be given a full museum retrospective while still producing at this rate, and the collection is a response to it. That context sits behind this dress whether or not a customer ever knows it.

Why we selected it

An evening dress that is machine-friendly cotton and can be packed in a bag is a genuinely rare object, and it is the reason we took it. We also wanted something in the store from the Temple collection specifically, because that season will be looked back on.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton, in a jersey. Made in Italy, in Black. Full length, thin shoulder straps, low-cut back with a centre back slit. From the Spring/Summer 2026 Temple collection.

Fit notes

Cotton jersey with no elastane will stretch with wear and return with washing, and it fits over a range rather than to a measurement. Thin straps and a deep back mean the fit is decided at the shoulder and the bust. It is a long dress and the length is fixed; a jersey hem should not be altered casually.

Styling

With a flat sandal, which is the version we prefer, or with a heel. Nothing over it that would obscure the back, which is the whole garment. If it needs an outer layer, carry the Follo Scarf rather than a jacket.

Care

Wash cool and dry flat, and never hang it wet, since a floor-length jersey will stretch several inches under the weight of its own water. Reshape while damp. Our care guidance covers the general principles.

Related pieces

We would point to the Arrowhead Gown, the Abito – Taco Gown, and the SS26 Combo Slip Dress. Everything we currently hold from Rick Owens is listed together.