27 years since the creation of Raf Simons and his eponymous label, the Belgian designer has announced on Instagram that his SS23 was his final collection, ever.
It’s official. October the 14th saw Raf Simons and his last ever fashion collection walk down the runway as the Belgian designer shuts down his eponymous label after 27 years of hard work and dedication. Fair to say, the news comes as an unexpected surprise. The brand has been issuing collaborations and campaigns as if absolutely nothing was wrong, so when the announcement hit Instagram this past Monday, it wasn’t much of a shocker to find comments along the lines of “I didn’t think this would ever happen” or others, slightly more entitled, “excuse me?”.
Raf Simons however, will not disappear. We’re likely still seeing him holding hands with Miuccia Prada as the pair co-direct Prada’s creative vision, a role which Simons has held since 2020, and which only adds to his impressive CV in the fashion world. Raf Simons has in fact also been part of Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein.
Simons’ legacy is certainly one to reminisce, and which we hope to see seeping into Prada as he continues his work in fashion. Always with a youthful touch to his designs, Raf Simons was often spotted reframing pop-culture and art through the lens of his fashion designs. For his namesake label, this often included collaborations with the multidisciplinary American artist, Sterling Ruby.
“I lack the words to share how proud I am of all that we have achieved,” spoke Simons on Instagram. “Thank you all, for believing in our vision and for believing in me.”
And here’s the thing. Raf Simons was never trained in fashion, so his lack of formal fashion training is nothing but an attestant to the designers raw talent. Educated in furniture design, it wasn’t until he witnessed Maison Margiela (runway SS91) that he switched into the world of fashion, and never looked back. It was also this access which inspired him for his FW95 collection, dotted with an army of street-casted models in a look that Raf Simons popularised himself; the skinny suit.
Albeit rumours spreading about Raf Simons shutting down so Simons can become the sole creative director of Prada when Miuccia Prada retires, it seems that rumours are in fact not true. Either way, the shutting down of his label is certain to refocus the designer’s efforts, and we can’t wait to see what will come next for Prada with Raf’s entire efforts focused on the singular brand.