The boxing installation titled What Are We Fighting For? appeared at the 2019 Venice Biennale, marking one of the recent creative projects by French entrepreneur Michèle Lamy. Beyond this athletic venture, her career spans decades of activity across fashion, nightlife, and design, originating from her early professional life as a criminal defense lawyer in France.
Early Professional Background and Transition
Born in 1944 in Oyonnax, France, Lamy pursued legal studies at the University of Paris. During the 1960s and 1970s, she practiced as a criminal defense lawyer while studying under the philosopher Gilles Deleuze. She eventually abandoned legal practice, shifting her focus toward creative pursuits. In 1979, she relocated to New York City, where she resided at the Hotel Chelsea and began producing plastic jewelry.
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Upon moving to Los Angeles, Lamy launched a fashion line and operated a retail establishment in the Beverly Center. In 1984, she introduced a clothing label that achieved distribution through high-end retailers like I. Magnin. During this period, she also managed the nightclubs Café des Artistes and Les Deux Cafés with her first husband, Richard Newton. In 1990, she hired Rick Owens as a pattern cutter; he subsequently became her business partner and spouse.
Owenscorp and Artistic Collaborations
In 2004, Lamy and Owens co-founded the company Owenscorp. After the couple relocated to Paris in 2001 and married in 2006, they expanded their collaboration into furniture design, with Lamy managing the production of items under the Owens brand. Her collaborative work extends to music and performance; she has formed the band Lavascar with Nico Vascellari and her daughter, Scarlett Rouge. Furthermore, she has featured in music videos for FKA Twigs and Black Asteroid and participated in projects with artists such as Cecilia Bengolea.
Boxing and Performance Projects
Lamy has engaged in contactless boxing for 35 years. In 2018, she established a gym named Lamyland within the Selfridges department store in London. Her interest in physical performance led to the 2020 collaboration with director Katya Bankowsky on a short film series titled Battle Royale. Throughout her career, she has consistently integrated diverse artistic disciplines, including installation art and performance series, such as her 2019 installation Genius You.
Fast facts
- Born: 1944, Oyonnax, France
- Education: University of Paris
- Spouse: Rick Owens
- Child: Scarlett Rouge
- Business partner: Rick Owens
- Primary occupations: Entrepreneur, fashion designer
- Notable project: Lamyland at Selfridges
Questions readers ask
What is Michèle Lamy's professional background?
She has worked as a criminal defense lawyer, clothing designer, restaurateur, nightclub manager, and film producer.
How does she define her partnership with Rick Owens?
They established Owenscorp in 2004, a business partnership she famously described as asking a gypsy to organize a war with a fascist.
Achievements
- Educated at University of Paris
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