ON BETTER SHOULDERS: RAF SIMONS
Raf Simons: Designer of the Year
Last week, Raf Simons became the second designer in the history of American fashion to win Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards 2017 for both the men’s and womenswear categories. What is peculiar about this story is the recurrence of Simons’s undeniable talent, along with a whimsical bliss of always being at the right place and time. A recurrent theme in the much beloved Belgian Designer career from the time he started as a furniture designer in 1991 for the design studio of Walter Van Beirendonck in Antwerp.
For a starter, Simons is only second to Calvin Klein, the designer, and current fashion house that Simons reins as chief creative officer, who had the same double honour in 1993. The two men won the award at almost the same age; Klein at 51 and Simons at 49 years old.
Simons big win is quite the welcome from the American Fashion Elite. The award comes at a time where his first Calvin Klein collection, due this fall, is the most anticipated collection of all fashion houses.
The Legacy
Raf Simons legacy, especially for his men’s label, along with Jil Sanders and Christian Dior, is nothing but magical. While each brand had a very distinct identity, values, and personality, Simons was metamorphosing from a rebellious youthfulness, to sharp minimalism, and finally romantic perfectionism at Dior.
With a background in industrial design, an obsession with music, art, and youth culture, plus an admirable respect for his team, we can comfortably rely on him to bring some sense, culture, and most importantly, personal vision this fall.
There are many moments in which Simons took part in drafting fashion history, and some were heavily criticized. Such as his Bomber Jacket show, and the way it was wrongly connected to the extreme right, or the fact that his castings lacked diversity. While those moments seem irrelevant today, especially that in both cases, Simons was purely honest with his environment.
The Bomber, for instance, was inspired by a friend who has worn it since childhood, due to his connection with pilots, and in no way an association to the extreme right. According to the designer himself, the castings lack of diversity was due to the fact that the models that showed for his open calls were never black, again, a translation of his reality and location at the time.
The more important moments, however, are the most magical. Including, his ending show with Jil Sander‘s which left the audience sobbing. Another special moment is during the debut of his first Dior collection. He mesmerized all of us with an air of beauty that only the combination of Raf Simons and Dior could bring along. For me, I think the moment I fell in love with him is when he cries on the terrace with his right hand, Pieter Mulier, as he realizes that he is about to showcase his first Dior haute couture show. The whole documentary is a feast of love, dedication, humility, and respect for the petites mains of the house.
Raf Simons Emotional at Last Jil Sanders Show
We can only wait to see what Simons vision for Calvin Klein is. As an equally pragmatic, talented, and cultured designer, we will not be able to imagine what he will do. But we can assume, at the very least, that Calvin Klein is on better shoulders.
Maria Jaber
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