Journey of the entrepreneur:
Richard Saturnino Owens
Early life and education
Richard Saturnino Owens was raised in Porterville, California. His parents are John and
Concepción "Connie" Owens. His mother is Mexican. Owens was raised in a conservative,
Catholic household. After graduating high school, he moved to Los Angeles, California to study
art at Otis College of Art and Design for two years before taking pattern-making and draping
courses at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. This led to work in the garment industry,
designing copies of designer clothing. Owens then met Michèle Lamy, who at this time was
well-known in the Los Angeles social scene and owned the "Lamy" sportswear brand.
Career
Owens launched his fashion line in 1994, operating out of a store in Hollywood Boulevard. One
of the first boutiques to carry his clothes was Charles Gallay, who was known for carrying
avant-garde designers. He gained notability after Kate Moss was photographed by Corrine Day
for Vogue Paris in one of his signature leather jackets. This attention lead to Vogue America
sponsoring his first runway, which he titled "Sparrows FW02"