AW10 collection arriving soon...
RAF BY RAF SIMONS
Raf Simons - one of the key innovators in contemporary menswear. his collections are defined by a narrow, linear cut combining sartorial traditions with the 'uniforms' of rebellious youth.
born in 1968 in belgium raf simons studied industrial design at the antwerp royal academy, during which he undertook an internship in paris with walter van beirendonck, who was part of the antwerp six group of designers. it is here that he became interested in the work of contemporary designers such as martin margiela and jean-paul gaultier.
graduating in 1991 simons worked for several years as a furniture designer for galleries and interiors.
in a radical change of profession, simons went to work for a belgian tailor before launching his first collection in 1995.
in 200 raf simons was appointed the head professor of fashion at the university of applied arts in vienna, austria, in 2005, he became the creative director for jil sander and the following year launched his diffusion line 'raf by raf simons'
simons doesn't want to show clothes, he wants to show his attitude, his past present and future. his clothes are concerned with communicating the fact that he is inspired by the 'pride in individuality'.
youth culture and its associations heavily inform his collections as he designs for what he describes as 'confident outsiders'.
his references to youth movements such as punk, goth and mod are not meant to be retrospective; rather, simons translates their original energy into contemporary visions of confidence and modernity.
simon's clothes are renowned for their impeccable cut and contemporary design aesthetic, as he cites music, art, performance, images and words as the inspiration behind his garments.