Raf Simons

"There are three reasons to come to Paris: Hedi Slimane of Dior, Tom Ford of Yves Saint Laurent and Helmut Lang. Actually, there is a fourth -- Raf Simons, who in a parking garage on Sunday night -- on a platform made of crushed soda cans -- superbly articulated how contemporary culture has become a thoughtless Pac-Man, gobbling up products as well as references. It's rare for a designer to make a political statement in fashion and still offer wearable clothes" -- Cathy Horyn 2002 Raf Simons SS03 "Consumed" Penelope Tree Shark Hoodie in blue over black. SS03 "Consumed" is Raf's quiet observation of consumerism, or to be "consumed" by consumerism -- Its effects on youth; Their impartial interaction with such commercial entities and the molding of adolescent identities rooting from the collective indifference towards the squandering influence of commercial identities. This is the iconic and highly sought after hooded sweatshirt featuring Penelope Tree, from Truman Capote's Black & White ball, and Steven Spielberg's mechanical shark from Jaws in the backdrop, with "Diamond Co-Opted" written underneath the kangaroo pocket. The Penelope Tree print featured here on the hoodie derives from a picture which served as a pivotal point in fashion, youth culture and high society America. The original black and white picture has beanpole figured Tree staring dauntingly out in the distance from amongst a group of middle age socialites. This grabbed the attention of prominent figures of fashion and despite strong opposition from Penelope's father, as she was 16, Penelope Tree became the quintessential swinging sixties icon which galvanized female youth culture and movements at the time. Furthermore, inspired a generation of artists and designers to look at youth culture for inspiration and solidified the Youthquake movement. As for Raf Simons, and this is purely out of speculation, Penelope Tree holds a special place of interest as his source of inspiration will be and has been the youth.  

Raf Simons AW05 "History of My World" Hoodie with Peter De Potter graphic. Raf's relationship with Peter de Potter is the foundation for the label's well acclaimed cryptic graphical works. Both graduating from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and originally a supposed one time collaboration for 2000-2001, the two worked together under the guidance of head of fashion Walter Van Brenondoink (a strong advocate of interdisciplinary work) with photographer Willy Vanderpere and stylist Oliver Rizzio to create the book "Isolated Heroes", the catalyst to Raf's prime years. Raf Simons later borrowed photographs from said book in a recent collection titled "Isolated Heroes". Crafted poems, graphics, collages which abruptly collided with Raf's relationship with music or youth and were displayed in a vague, enigmatic medium was spearheaded by Peter de Potter and continued 9 years after Isolated Heroes. Due to the nature of the graphics, the words or prints on Raf's clothing is a melting pot of musical and personal references which require acute dissection. Seems though, there's something -real- which emanates past all those layers that make some gravitate towards Raf/Peter's work. 9/10 condition. Size 54, very rare size, fits big, XL-XXL.

Raf Simons AW03  "Closer" Puffer Down Moto Jacket in a dark navy. Simons's "Closer" touches base with his roots to music, especially with Joy Division and New Order, with Raf's Peter Saville admiration spearheading the entire collection. Taken from the Mode Museum in Antwerp: "This season, Raf Simons was granted full access to the archives of Peter Saville. Raf Simons made a personal selection of Saville-designed works (some of them previously unseen) to integrate them into his collection. As a long-time admirer of Peter Saville, Raf Simons considers this a great honour, and therefore dedicates his collection to the man who put an unique spin on music culture. The collection itself focuses on traditional styles and fabrics, augmented by a mod influence. Linked to the aesthetics of Peter Saville, there are also touches of early Russian Constructivism, Bauhaus and vintage British looks. At the same time, the collection reflects on the process of growing up and (re)considering adulthood, citing references to childhood dress codes, formal business looks and ghetto rebellion." Cleanly executed crossover of a puffer jacket and moto jacket, which nods to two different functions and styles from two worlds and tailors them harmoniously together. Puffer jacket is structured as a moto jacket and sought to be fitted close to the chest. Multiple functional zip pockets. Snap button down lapels. Round and wide silhouette. Adjustable waist buckles. Arm pocket. High waisted. 8/10 condition. Right pocket is blown out and needs repair. Size 54, extremely rare size. Fits an XL-XXL.

SS03 "Consumed" by Raf Simons Cut Out Hoodie. SS03 "Consumed" is Raf's quiet observation of consumerism, or to be "consumed" by consumerism -- Its effects on youth and their evenhanded interaction with such capitalistic identities and the study of how it molds adolescent identities. Featuring "New Kids,Inc" print on chest, also inked on bare top runway models. Cutouts along back, shoulder, tied together at fragile ends that allow for some interesting layering. Raw hems and extended arms. Oversized silhouette. 9/10 condition. Size 46 but can fit and S-L depending on fit

Raf Simons FW04-05 "Waves" Turtleneck. Iconic patches from graphics used in other pieces such as "EXILES EVERYWHERE WE GO", "TEST WAVES", and the paisley ying/yang sewed on a wool blend turtleneck. This piece is a collage of themes used in the "Waves" collection, including Ortega y Gasset's "shipwreck" passage, rave culture and fabricated record labels. Patches are intentionally distressed and have a "dirt" effect ubiquitously applied throughout each graphic. The material is intentionally pilled. Loose fit. 7.5/10 condition, slightly more wear than its original condition. Size 48 and fits a slim medium loosely.

SS04 "May The Circle Be Unbroken" Sleeveless Oversized Hoodie with Cutout. For this collection, Raf Simons conveyed a spiritual ethos in conjunction with Herman Hesse's novel "Siddhartha" which Simons depicts in the under-layer graphic of this hoodie and other pieces throughout the collection. Extremely oversized hoodie with drawstrings in the front, colourfaded, "druid" oversized hoodie. Back featured two layers of fabric, an external shell with an underlayer thinner fabric featuring the print mentioned of "Siddhartha". 7.5/10 condition. Size 48 but fits very oversized.