For a week or two last summer the usual fanfare that follows a fresh season faded to insignificance. A quiet hush descended upon the the industry as all eager eyes were firmly fixed upon Raf Simons who presented his spring/summer 13 menswear collection for his eponymous label and introduced his vision to Dior in the space in just a few days. Everything changed in an instant. The fog of apprehension that hovered over the Twittersphere was duly replaced with a sunrise of reverence and appreciation. Held breath was released with exclamation. Brushing off the weight of expectation from his well defined shoulders, the poetic, elegant, and free-thinking designer dazzled, delighted and ultimately delivered. Commentators who were all prepared to compare and contrast his work with that of other talents (*cough*Hedi*cough*) were forced to rip up their notes and were left with tired necks from never-ending nods and stinging hands from ceaseless clapping. The culmination of two game changing shows saw Simons float off through the troposphere, past the stratosphere and into the Raf-osphere. He's in a world of his own and what an inviting world it is.
As he marked a momentous new chapter by adding his delicate touch and energy to the codes of a House rich in history, he first returned, renewed and reinvigorated his own roots in another. Soundtracked by Nevermind, Raf Simons’ eponymous spring/summer 13 collection was both masculine yet feminine, familiar yet fresh, dark yet delicate. As Cobain’s cries faded out to silence, the designer’s menswear manifesto loomed large in the memory. It was a moment. A moment that didn’t go unnoticed by MRPORTER.COM’s Senior Buyer Terry Betts who proclaimed, “Raf’s use of colour and Kurt Cobain-inspired grunge florals combined to make his SS13 show one of our favourites.” With the online retailer unveiling exclusive collections with Ami, Beams Plus and Alexander Wang, the addition of Simons to the collaborative cocktail mad it an all too inviting mix for me. Adding to the collection’s original vase of beautiful blooms, this creative coming together welcomes uniquely-painted watercolour florals which have been used to transform staples of formalwear and sportswear. It is my kind of collaboration. Knowing its customer, the online emporium focussed its gaze on one enticing facet and elaborated upon in it beautifully. The thirteen piece capsule collection that blossomed online this week and I couldn't resist adding a couple of pieces to my wardrobe to help force a spring in the step of the new season...
Short sleeved shirt and t-shirt both Raf Simons exclusives for MR.PORTER.COM worn with...
jogging bottoms by Baartmans & Siegel and trainers by Nike.
Simons' frequently and fruitfully taps into a collective consciousness that plays with collective memories of images and sounds. Each season is a sensory shake-up that mixes past, present and future. The delicate water colour florals do just that. They are polaroid promises of bouquets long given, the scent of wild flowers waiting to waft by and blossoming blooms just picked. Take my hand and stroll through the detail shots below...
2 comments:
Lot of detail in the print design.
Nice to see you rocking florals! I should make my life more exciting and try something floral once in a while.
Post a Comment