Mood board: Raf Simons continued to reflect on the notion of Americana for Calvin Klein, this time drawing inspiration from Hollywood and the iconic genres of American cinema to add a new layer to his youth-centric collection. A mash-up of western, 70s, horror and pop art influences, Simons’ collection celebrated culture clashes and sartorial fluidity, combining different motifs to evoke both a sense of nostalgia and excitement at the same time. From 1950s style dresses realised in rubber to hand painted denim workwear, nylon evening gowns and colourful patchwork western shirts, each surrealistic pastiche was thrilling, vibrant visualisation of the American Dream.
Scene setting: To create the perfect backdrop, Simons brought in repeat collaborator Sterling Ruby to create a site-specific installation that mirrors the same influences as the collection. Building upon the work he created previously for Calvin Klein’s A/W 2017 show, Ruby’s colourful panorama, entitled Sophomore, featured cheerleading pom poms, suspended axes, patchwork flags, further reinforcing the reinterpretation of American archetypes.
Team work: The collection’s cultural identity is especially poignant in a series of pieces screen printed with artworks by Andy Warhol. Made in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, the prints include portraits of Warhol and art collector Sandra Brant, actor Dennis Hopper, and several other images from his Death and Disaster series.