Raf Simons--"the Antwerp seventh"

Raf Simons

the boy who was born in a small town of Belgium

and when Raf was young

he was completely into the Television

Television,television,television everyday

the television,MTV and the music had became a very big impact on him

also those part became a very big impact on his designs

From the very beginning of his eponymous menswear label

in 1995

though to his tenure at Jil Sande

since 2005~2012

the 7 years in a German brand

and now Raf's role as the creative director at Dior

.

Raf was grown up on a street where were farms and cos and animals

a small town,Belgium

there was a complete disconnect from culture 

and actually 

since beginning

Raf was studying the Industrial design

not the fashion design

while he was during his Industrial design education that he became fascinated with the Antwerp six

he was obsessed with the Martin Margiela and Helmut Lang

but in this time

Raf was quite poor

he can't afford this

he only can afford maybe a pair of socks from them

so he started to imitate their designs

in the period of Raf was graduating

he met the women who is the most important one during his designing life

the director at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp

Linda Loppa

actually 

in the beginning

Linda was interested in Raf's furniture designs

and Linda was trying to let Raf into the Galleries and get him represented by the furniture 

but

Raf's always was fascinated with the fashion

never changed(won't change) 

in this time Raf was started to help Walter Van Beirendonck with his presentations in Paris

with the bravely(of loving fashion) 

Raf told Linda

"go away and make some clothes then come back show me"Linda said

with this encourage

Raf gone to Milan with the only 25 pieces and 1500 euros

with this in Milan

Raf took a job as a Gardener in between

while Raf started his first collection

his though this collection was not in order for sell

it has another important role 

just to convince the Linda

and times when Raf was living the Antwerp

became his inspiration for his first collection

the first collection of him was some-things about

the mood of people who around him,and the television and the music

...

with this long "HISTORY"

Raf's designs is abundant and funny

every-piece of his design

their is a story in 

always you can see some-shadows of Antwerp six

especially in the early 

colorful

"absurd"

.

in the early of Raf's designs

you can see some-things quite"young"

both himself and his designs

you can see

anythings is possible in his designs

the high saturation colors

all run though his designs

"pink,yellow,electric blue and red..."

any colors you can see in his runway

and also maybe you can see those colors in Gay-pride

but obviously in Raf's designs those colors is more fashion 

and about "absurd"

i may say 

maybe we should blamed the time when Raf working with WVB

cause you know

WVB is a weird guy

totally in his designs

so you can see some weird thins in early Rafs'

the colorful Ninja sporty shoes

the colorful XXXXhuge shroud backpack...

shape and details

.

as be obsessed with Helmut Lang

in some designs of Raf

you can see some-things which used belong to Helmut

such as the sharply cutting 

Raf using the sharply cutting to made some-things quite cool

and with the simply colors

black,white and grey

it does real cool and simply

but just the sharply cutting

be the eyes killer is enough

with the simply colors and season-less designs

it can takes you guys to office and takes you home

if you do not want be the salve of trends

you must chose it

it's really simply but with the remarkable details

deconstruction and ligature art(SM)

.

having hardly working with those fun designers

Raf Simons concentrate on himself

maybe you also can found some-things maybe not "belong"him

maybe the colorful and freak things(Walter Van Beirendonck's)

maybe the dissolute menswear(Dries Van Noten)

maybe the sharply cutting like the "Scissorhands"(Helmut Lang)

...

but this is Raf Simons

who's gonna becoming the Antwerp seventh

who's including the old Antwerp six's 

also has his own things

he does a lot things belong to himself

and match it with some-things which belongs to the people who's around him

or his culture

he found it's very important

that's 

Raf Simons