RAF SIMONS A/W 2013

by SIROSIIS

I feel kind of bad, only in a sorry-not-sorry kind of way, because I haven't posted about Simons' S/S13 collection. But whatever. That's not the point of this post. Raf Simons finally showed his collection and it was fucking brilliant. I was inspired by Prada's A/W13 collection, the retro throwback, and I really wanted more of that. The really easy, familiar idea of it? Elbaz did it in his show for Lanvin A/W12; especially in the high-waisted, flared pants. The 70s? Really?? How is 1970s even appealing to a guy who dresses in all black, oversized coats, skinny leather pants, and occasionally considers getting a tramp-stamp tattoo just for the LolLLs!! But these looks worked. And it was that unexpected spark that Raf Simons brought. And I loved it.

Simons is known for being this super cool, edgy, "minimalist" designer with this style that speaks to all these youth references and etcetera shit. But I mean, let's be real here, everyone loves and knows Simons for his early work. S/S 2002 anyone?? And honestly, it's a shame that people even compare his (or any designer) to their previous archive collections, and say their work hasn't improved. That's so dumb. Collections aren't about progression from previous seasons. They're about the designers' visions and inspirations. And regression is just as necessary as progression.


Raf Simons S/S 2002


And really, the idea of Simons being a "minimalist" designer is just the media giving him this label so they can write about him in an easy and pleasant way. I am not putting him down in any way at all, but come on, he is a designer with his own vision. He knows what he's doing, and we don't need to tell him he is "THIS" when he doesn't need to be. And honestly, I wouldn't wear most of the looks from A/W13. They're not my personal style. But he went so against what was expected (and wanted) from him, that this is why I loved the show - and him - even more. And really it's too new to even consider any irrelevant assumptions about the show and Simons' inspirations, so I'm only talking about my opinions at the moment. But I am so happy and interested that Simons showed us a tailored man for A/W13. Last year, we saw this ultra edgy, cool guy with the drop-crotch-but-still-tailored shorts and trainers from Simons. It was so fucking 2012/2013. This season is completely different, and it's almost as if Simons is teasing his audience. Mocking them. Telling them, "Yo, I'm not a fucking hipster. Sitcha ass down."




Raf Simons A/W 2013


The collection focused on proportions so much, playing with the idea of what works and what doesn't. It was a mess, but in a good way. It was almost satirically funny with the hair styling, reminding me of an anime character? It was just so purposefully and perfectly placed. But honestly, who's watching those animes? Not the people wearing these clothes. So I immediately got the impression Raf Simons is trying to separate himself from his mainstream success. Or at least, with the youth culture. Maybe Simons was trying to blind that border of pretentious fashion, artistic fashion statements, and people who wear fashionable clothing just for the sake of being trendy (namely, his A/W12 collection and A$AP Rocky). There was an obvious statement in this collection, but I don't want to say what that might be, because truthfully, I don't know. His S/S13 collection definitely referenced his previous work, and wanted to go back to that edgy, grunge youth. But the clothing for S/S13 manifested itself so differently than one might expect from the inspirations, it leaves me wondering what A/W13 was about and where the Raf Simons man is heading next. Interestingly enough, and just as a side note to think about, I wrote this entire post about how Simons is separating himself from his success and youth, but the shoes in this collection were a collaboration with Adidas. I don't know. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about.