A Look at Raf Simons SS17

Raf Simons’ love of art is well documented; in previous collections, the Belgian designer referenced the works of greats like Rothko and Picasso, as well as contemporary artists like Brian Calvin. Simons once staged a catwalk at the Gagosian gallery on the outskirts of Paris with models weaving through artworks. In 2007, a sculpture by Conrad Shawcross was used as part of a show set, and in 2014 Simons collaborated on an entire collection with artist Sterling Ruby. This season, Robert Mapplethorpe’s stylish and politically charged photography was a major source of inspiration for the designer.

Since Simons’ mystery project at trade show Pitti Uomo, in Florence, was announced a few months back, a pervasive sense of excitement has been amassing. This season’s collection was a collaboration of sorts, with pioneering photographer and artist, Mapplethorpe, or more precisely, the Foundation that’s in his name. Similar to the Ruby partnership, this season’s collection felt very much like a collaboration, as appose to referential, with Mapplethorpe’s photography playing a crucial role both aesthetically and conceptually in the collection.

Long white shirts, worn unbuttoned in places creating an impression of hurriedness or disarray, were paired with Simons’ iconic slim fitting flared trousers, and sliders worn with socks. The oversized knits from last season made a return in the form of cropped sweater vests and enormous jumpers unbuttoned at the shoulders to reveal the pictures underneath.

The garments, mostly monochrome like Mapplethorpe’s images, often acted as frames for the photographs, with prints sitting squarely in the centre and leather overalls forming borders around the images. The photographs used comprised a remarkable range of Mapplethorpe’s work, including well-known portraits and images of flowers. The breadth of images selected by Simons provided a glimpse into the expansive scope of the photographer’s work. Long apron-like shirts were another canvas for the Mapplethorpe prints, styled with belts around models’ necks and leather-daddy caps, referencing New York’s underground gay scene in the 70s and 80s. A leather apron was perhaps the most apparent reference to Mapplethorpe’s interest in the previously undocumented fetish scenes.

 

London stockists:

Browns – 23S Molton Passage, London W1K 5RD

Harvey Nichols – 109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RJ

HOSTEM – 28 Old Nichol St, London E2 7HR

Liberty – Regent St, London W1B 5AH

LN-CC – 18-24 Shacklewell Ln, London E8 2EZ

Machine-A – 13 Brewer St, London W1F 0RH

Selfridges – 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB

 

Text by Keshav Anand