“Sometimes it’s more a matter of collaboration which matters in a collection.” Raf Simons shares his views on teamwork in the A/W03 issue of AnOther Heralded as one of the leading innovators in contemporary menswear, Belgian Raf Simons has come
“Sometimes it’s more a matter of collaboration which matters in a collection.” Raf Simons shares his views on teamwork in the A/W03 issue of AnOther
Heralded as one of the leading innovators in contemporary menswear, Belgian Raf Simons has come a long way since initially studying Industrial Design. Working briefly as a furniture designer after graduating he took a career re-direction and chose to pursue fashion, training himself in menswear design. Launching his first Raf Simons collection in 1995 he has never looked back. Despite a brief shut down of the business in March 2000 – citing the restriction and confinement of the business side of fashion after the label’s rapid growth – he returned a year later with a smaller team of collaborators and went on to launch his Raf by Raf Simons in 2005 and become creative director of Jil Sander. Taking inspiration from youth culture, his menswear garments blend austere tailoring with street style, and always involve unusual, inventive cuts and an unconventional twist. A talented and influential designer – the New York Times labelled him the most influential menswear designer of the decade – Simons has also taken womenswear in his stride. Keeping the pared down tradition of Jil Sander, he has taken over from its founder with great success adding his own unique touch and sophistication. He has also been involved in a diverse range of collaborations: Fred Perry, Doc Martens, Sterling Ruby, Linda Farrow, Peter de Potter and Eastpak have all teamed up with the Raf Simons label creating a variety of products, from backpacks to eight hole boots.
Text by Lucia Davies
Raf Simons won the Wallpaper* Design Award for Best New Men’s Fashion Collection in 2010, chosen for ‘challenging menswear conventions for pieces that were both classic and revolutionary.’
The Raf Simons x Fred Perry A/W10 collection is out now.
