‘I don’t understand why our world, which is so controlled by human decisions, has evolved to such muted colours in daily life,’ laments the fashion designer Raf Simons, sunk into a fire-engine-red Jean Royère armchair in the front room of his vast, Liberty-style villa in Milan. Wearing, perhaps incongruously considering the topic of conversation, his monochrome uniform of a black sweatshirt and stiff, black jeans.

He’s speaking with Wallpaper* on the occasion of his latest launch with Danish textile brand Kvadrat, the ‘Shaker System’ collection for children, inspired by the modular storage rails commonly found in Shaker households. As well as two new textiles, ‘Ria 2’ and ‘Saxion’.

Shaker systems for kids

When we speak, Simons is a few days out from presenting the S/S 2026 collection for Prada, which he co-designs with the brand’s founder, Miuccia Prada. The pulse of fashion – fast-paced, ephemeral, high-stakes – feel worlds away from the quiet Protestant sect that inspired the Shaker storage system, which allows you to tidily attach objects to a fixed bar that runs the perimeter of the room.

'Normally, when you buy objects for your home, you put them on a shelf like a vase. But for things like a blanket, you either have to drape it over a sofa or fold it away in a closet,' he says. 'I always thought, if you like something, why not keep it exposed?'

The new edition, designed on a smaller scale for children, is the natural extension of that thinking. Simons has also created a range of new products that can be stored along the rail: a soft bag, a velvet teddy bear, a cushion, a wool jacquard blanket, and a hooded towel.

Raf Simons on colour

Today, sitting in his Milan living room, the topic he really wants to talk about – and what informs much of his work with Kvadrat – is colour. Or rather, the lack of it in our daily lives. 'When you think about objects we use all the time, like mobile phones – they’re always grey or black. It’s not that I dislike those colours, but I wonder why interior palettes are so often just neutral.'

His longstanding collaboration with the textile brand, he says, is a way of introducing vibrancy and expressive colour back into our domestic habitats. 'From day one, I said, if we do this, it will very much be about colour,' he says of the partnership.

He points to the ‘Ria 2’ fabric, a pointillist-inspired wool viscose that follows the original ‘Ria’, which he is launching this month in several completely new palettes: cobalt blue, black and aubergine; wisteria pink, hunter green and powder white. Simons describes the new tones as being inspired by the natural world.

'I was observing nature to design textiles,' he explains of his creative process. 'I’ve always been fascinated by those colours. I spend hours observing flowers, questioning: why is this yellow so pleasing? Why does this red feel strong? One colour is never just one colour. Often, it’s not even the colour itself, but the pigment’s interaction with other colours that attracts me. That’s how a lot of my early fabric designs began.'

October also sees the introduction of ‘Saxion’, which he describes as a gentler, warmer spin on the best-selling ‘Vidar’ boucle in colourations of ultramarine, rhodonite pink and sunflower yellow.

Simons also hints at future projects, including new textiles inspired by the work of the Vienna Successionists and bold prints of the 1970s. 'An interest of mine is fabric design with strong graphic impact,' he says. 'Design often comes from another world; you rarely invent something completely new.'

Kvadrat/Raf Simons kids collection will launch 9 October 2025 on kvadratrafsimons.com and selected stores: Barney’s New York Japan, The Broken Arm Paris, The Hyundai in Seoul and Overflow in Beijing.

As a teenager in the small town of Neerpelt in Belgium, close to the Dutch border, fashion designer Raf Simons discovered the work of seminal graphic designer Peter Saville in his local record shop – and with it, a portal to another world. ‘I come from a village of 6,000 people, so forget about Berlin, London, New York – what are you talking about?’ he said in 2013. ‘So I picked up things because of the imagery. We have to think back in time – no computers, no mobiles, no nothing – it was pure isolation in a way.’

These images included the cover art for Joy Division and New Order, alongside the rest of the Factory Records roster. It would prove formative. Not only did Simons – who founded his eponymous label in 1995 before stints at Jil Sander, Dior, Calvin Klein and Prada, where he is currently co-creative director – draw inspiration from Saville’s visual language, which balances an aesthetic discipline with the pulsating energy of British subculture, but he would also end up collaborating with the Manchester-born designer numerous times across his career.

Kvadrat’s Technicolour Fleck Tote Bag, by Raf Simons and Peter Saville

This included Simons’ A/W 2003 collection, which featured Saville’s Factory Records sleeves – a motif repeated in his S/S 2018 show, presented in New York’s Chinatown – while during his tenure at Calvin Klein he enlisted Saville to re-design the American brand’s logo prior to his first runway show in 2017.

A new project from Kvadrat brings Simons and Saville together once again with a tote bag which draws on each of their longtime connections with the Danish textile house: Simons has worked with Kvadrat since 2014, including his ‘Shaker System’ of functional home accessories, which launched in 2022 (‘utility, function and materiality,’ Simons told Wallpaper* of the collection’s design philosophy at the time).

Saville has been working with Kvadrat since 2006, advising on its visual identity, as well as designing the ‘Technicolour’ fabric range and designing Kvadrat’s London showroom with architect David Adjaye, among other projects (he was also responsible for introducing Simons to the company). ‘They work at very different tempo: graphic design is very high-speed, fashion is pretty high-speed, pop culture in general is high-speed. What Kvadrat do is slower, but with depth,’ Saville told Wallpaper* of the brand in 2022.

The tote bag itself takes its shape and design from the signature Kvadrat/Raf Simons Tote Bag – perhaps Simons’ best-known creation for the house – while the fabric is chosen from Saville’s ‘Techicolour’ range. The exact material is ‘Techicolour Fleck’, a wool ‘rural grafitti’ textile, available here in 0190 black and 0150 grey. The bag also features a woven label featuring the fabric and colour number, ‘a clean graphic gesture and subtle reference to his iconic work for Factory Records,’ say Kvadrat.

‘Peter and I have had so much understanding, respect and love for each other over so many years and we are both strongly connected with Kvadrat. In a way the bag represents those relationships,’ says Simons. ‘We both believe strongly in something individually but we are also interested in others’ creative work and how things kind of click in a creative world. With the tote bag, it is not literally that we did this thing together, but it’s how things click.

‘Like the word interzone, I have been obsessed with that word forever,’ he continues. ‘For me, it’s not about crossing over music and fashion and art, it’s more this undefined unclear area between the zones, as the word says.’

‘The significant term to mention in any kind of understanding of my work is interzone,’ adds Saville. ‘The overlapping space between design, art, fashion, music, cinema, photography, architecture, interior... I was never specifically interested in graphics or typography; I was interested in how two-dimensional culture could reflect the mood of the moment – the feeling of the now.’

The limited-edition tote bag is available at shopkvadrat.com and in selected stores.

shopkvadrat.com

Fashion currently feels in a state of limbo. With a slew of creative directors taking up tenure in the coming months, menswear fashion week – which took place in Florence, Milan and Paris this January – felt somewhat subdued, with the distinct feeling that designers and houses were taking stock ahead of some seismic changes ahead (the number of debuts taking place from now until September has reached the double digits, including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Sarah Burton at Givenchy, and Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford). As of yesterday morning, the changes kept coming: Kim Jones is set to leave his position as creative director of Dior Men after seven years at the creative powerhouse. As for his replacement, rumours abound.

The changes also meant a more scant schedule than in recent seasons: Gucci and Fendi were off the Milan Fashion Week schedule (both will show co-ed in February), as was JW Anderson, who has shown in the city since the summer of 2022. In Paris, Loewe was notably absent, as was Dries Van Noten (the latter will show its first collection by Julian Krausner next month), while Givenchy also chose to wait until womenswear fashion month to unveil Burton’s vision for the house. There were some additions, though: buzzy American designer Willy Chavarria swapped New York for Paris, and brought some much-needed energy, while Peter Copping debuted his men’s and womenswear collections for Lanvin on Paris Fashion Week Men’s final evening.

With all that said, there was still plenty to unpack from the month-long schedule of shows, which largely continued to move away from quiet, understated luxury towards a bolder, more eclectic wardrobe – Prada, Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Sacai and Magliano all proposed the idea of individual style over a prescribed uniform. There was also an intriguing re-examination of eveningwear, an influence of the outdoors, and some extraordinary expressions of craft. Meanwhile faux fur became the surprising fabric du jour.

Here, Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks the trends and takeaways from menswear month, which concluded in Paris this past Sunday.

Men’s Fashion Month A/W 2025: the trends and takeaways

Designers continued to embrace the eclectic

After Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ paean to individual style at their S/S 2025 womenswear show in September – complete with 49 radically different looks – the pair continued to eschew thematics for a bold assemblage of elements which Simons describe as akin to an ‘unconscious’ stream of thought. As such the collection teetered between the romantic – floral motifs, washed-out plaids, shrunken knits adorned with metal charms, boyish pyjamas – and something more ‘primitive’ in faux fur hoods and tabards, cowboy boots, and suits made from patchworked pieces of leather. Mrs Prada said it was about ‘instinct, passion and romance.... which is so crucial at the moment; it’s the season of artificial intelligence, and this is our move again towards humanity.’

It was a mood which infused much of the season, whereby designers largely rejected the quiet and understated in the pursuit of bolder expressions of personal style. At Giorgio Armani, the 90-year-old designer presented a collection of ‘elegance to live in’ which he said was a rejection of a ‘pre-packaged formula’ (as such, the collection moved between typically fluid tailoring, iridescent skiwear, and a multitude of enveloping textures and surface finishes). At Sacai, Chitose Abe drew inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s 1963 children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, in which the protagonist travels to a magical realm of beasts and creatures; in the collection, this meant a heady mash-up of faux fur, skiwear and the tuxedo, alongside playful collaborations with Carhartt and Ugg.

Opening Paris Fashion Week Men’s, Pharrell Williams drafted fellow designer Nigo to collaborate on a Louis Vuitton collection inspired by their personal archives – from CDs and toys to varsity jackets and sneakers – which were displayed in the Louvre showspace. The collection itself had a similarly eclectic mood, an uninhibited ride through the pair’s shared obsessions, from playful Japanese motifs to souped-up riffs on workwear and uniforms. Like at Prada, it was an invitation to experiment and play.

Evening wear was re-examined

‘I think it’s time to bring back the pleasure of wearing a suit, not because you have to, but for the fun of it,’ said Véronique Nichanian at the end of her A/W 2025 show for Hermès, which culminated with louche, 1970s-inflected tailoring. Indeed, a desire for dress up – and the continuing renaissance of tailoring – ran through the season, with designers embracing (or indeed deconstructing) traditional formal wear. At Wooyoungmi, a riff on the tuxedo opened a show which saw designer Madame Woo rework menswear archetypes (the suits were sculpted at the waist, and came adorned with 3D-appliqué flowers in tailoring wool), while at Sacai, the closing look saw black blazers sliced away to reveal their lining, trimmed with faux fur, or reconstructed into flared, peplum silhouettes. Meanwhile Kim Jones, in what would be his final collection for Dior Men, looked towards the ‘graphic and angular’ tailoring of Christian Dior’s mid-century Ligne H collection, presented in the mid-1950s. It led to some extraordinary pieces: a crossover single-breasted tuxedo, nipped at the waist; a ballooning black kimono jacket, or a white blazer adorned with a single white bow along its back. They continued Jones’ assertion that clothing must be precious to warrant your attention: ‘people want something that noone else has,’ he told Wallpaper* in 2024.

Faux fur was everywhere

Occasionally, a trend emerges in such a way that you feel convinced that designers must have plotted up the idea together beforehand. This season, it was faux fur, which began in Milan with Dolce & Gabbana’s shaggy 2000s-inspired hooded jackets (the collection was tilted ‘Paparazzi’, and the collection was an ode to celebrity street style) and continued in Prada’s S/S 2025 collection, whereby Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons said animalistic slices of faux fur represented an intuitive, primitive way of dressing (after all, the desire to swaddle oneself in fur and animal hides dates back to the neanderthals). In Paris, Auralee’s faux fur jacket – worn beneath an overcoat with a baby blue collar poking out from beneath – offered a more quotidien take on the trend, while at Saint Laurent, which closed the month with a surprise show, Anthony Vaccarrello showed a series of showstopping ‘fur’ coats which were actually constructed from thousands of feathers. In a similar vein, shearling was also in abundance throughout the season – Zegna, Hermès and Sacai all used the enveloping fabric in their collections – suggesting a collective want for protection against the elements (whether adverse weather or something more existential).

Designers were ready to head outdoors

Utility and pragmatism were a throughline of the season, with a number of designers looking towards outdoor-wear for inspiration (with the churn of world news continuing across fashion month, it was unsurprising that designers sought refuge in the call of the wild). A rugged collection from Japanese label Junya Watanabe MAN, featuring a series of burly, bearded models, set the tone with a collaboration with Filson, a historic American outdoorwear brand which dates back to 1897. Citing a desire for ‘something real’, Watanabe’s signature workwear silhouettes were presented alongside plaid shirts, waxed jackets, patchworked jeans and trucker hats (the sounds of bearded American folk singer Avi Kaplan provided the soundtrack). Both Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani had whole sections of outdoor-wear (the former in gleaming iridescent skiwear, the latter in piled-up fluoro hiking gear), while at Yohji Yamamoto and IM Men (an Issey Miyake offshoot), quilted fabrics were used to enveloping effect. Most intriguing, though, was Kiko Kostadinov’s latest collection, which he said was inspired by the stark, isolated natural environments of Hungarian director Béla Tarr. In his signature queasy colour combinations, models trudged across a runway of fallen leaves, wearing riffs on fleece hiking jackets, military overcoats and swaddling ponchos, while a pair of tabi sneakers (the latest in a collaboration with Japanese sportswear brand Asics) were this season’s most covetable footwear.

High-level craft remained key

Rick Owens titled his latest collection ‘Concordians’, a reference to the industrial Italian town, close to Venice, where he produces his collections. In its austerity, he called it a kind of creative monastery, a space for him and his teams to work on ideas in total isolation (‘this cloistered life seems to be what it takes to be able to focus on reaching for something weird and wonderful,’ he said). As such, his A/W 2025 collection was an impressive demonstration of craft, from the ‘megacrust’ jeans (made from bronze foil and wax painstakingly applied onto denim), to the sweeping tops made from millefeuille layers of hand-cut rubber, or the incredible boots adorned with scale-like layers of laser-cut leather (a collaboration with Victor Clavelly). Make no mistake, despite their purposeful appearance of rawness and dishevelment – a Rick Owens signature – this craft was couture level.

Indeed, a focus on high-level craft ran throughout the season, not least at Dior, whereby his latest couture line for men (interspersed with the ready-to-wear collection) melded impressive construction with breathtaking beadwork and embellishment, like a twinkling of crystals across the shoulder of a blazer that gave the appearance of having been caught in the rain. At Louis Vuitton, there were mink intarsia hoodies replicating the house’s checkerboard motif, while at Saint Laurent, the aforementioned ‘fur’ coats were constructed from delicate fronds of feathers painstakingly hand-applied. Meanwhile at Giorgio Armani, which will celebrate 50 years in business this year, the show ended with a black velvet blazer adorned with smatterings of sparkle, evoking a night sky dotted with stars.

Just before men’s fashion month began this past June, Meta introduced a new tag for Instagram and Facebook allowing you to label images ‘made with AI’. It was a response, no doubt, to the bizarre ‘AI art’ which flooded the latter: anthropomorphic animals that move like humans; statues of Jesus made of stacks of shrimps or vegetables; ‘cyborg’ children engineered with empty plastic bottles and computer detritus. They have been deemed ‘slop’: a queasy and surreal stream of images made by a mysterious army of bots to mine likes and views (search: ‘weird AI art Facebook’ on Google Images to view some of these oddities).

Later that month at Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons showed a menswear collection which the duo said explored ideas of ‘truth and pretence, the real and the unreal’. It made for a collection of illusions: belts that looked like belts but were actually stitched into the construction of a trouser, shirts that were warped with hidden wires, shield-like sunglasses overlaid with images of Roman statues, ravers and American highways. ‘Viewed from afar, pieces can pretend to be other,’ said the designers. ‘Details may seem simplistic, naïve, but up-close, physically, perceptions transform.’ It was fashion for our bewildering post-truth era, where nothing is quite what it seems.

Throughout 2024, designers have used their collections to grapple with designing for our increasingly disorientating world, resulting in idiosyncratic and intriguing collections which British designer Jonathan Anderson best described as ‘irrational clothing’ (he was talking about his own S/S 2025 menswear collection). The idea of the hybrid ran throughout, strange mash-ups that seemed to capture the dizzying spin of a social-media stream: at Loewe and Balenciaga garments appeared crafted from stacks of discarded clothing, at Sacai garments like the MA-1 flight jacket were melded together in Chitose Abe’s offbeat style, while at Issey Miyake sweaters appeared stitched on to the front of vests (typical of the Japanese brand’s innovative approach, they were actually knitted as a single piece).

Though it was accessories that made for some of the most curious hybrids. There was JW Anderson’s loafer bag, first appearing as part of Anderson’s S/S 2025 menswear collection in Milan, which ‘deconstructed and reconstructed in bag form’ the penny loafer (the classic shoe’s ‘whale-tail keeper’ detail runs across the bag’s boxy design, while the base recalls a loafer’s sole). Part of a collecton that was inspired by the stream of memories dug up by hypnotherapy – sweaters ran with slogans like ‘Real Sleep’ – it was both strange and familiar, like an object appearing from a dream. And, judging by a buzzy release last month, it looks set to follow in the JW Anderson ‘Bumper’ bag’s footsteps as a contemporary it-bag.

At Hodakova, the Stockholm-based winner of the 2024 LVMH Prize, eponymous designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson uses deadstock in imaginative ways. Like a series of bags constructed from discarded belts, or a surreal bag crafted from a knee-high boot, capturing an undone glamour that feels fitting for our times. At Duran Lantink’s thrilling S/S 2025 show, handbags became hats, while at Acne Studios trompe l’oeil prints saw ‘denim jeans’ printed across silk scarves and tote bags. Demna, meanwhile, melded a soft satin house slipper with towering stiletto heel at Balenciaga, while at Bottega Veneta, what appeared like a knitted wool sock was actually a woven leather shoe. Off the runway, New Balance’s loafer-cum-trainer was one of the year’s most divisive (and talked about) shoes.

These were pieces that spoke of not only the experience of living in what feels like an endless, infinite scroll of a social media stream – the dizzying juxtapositions from one post to the next – but also a newly experimental attitude in fashion as designers shift away from the quiet to the loud, no doubt buoyed by a new generation of consumers willing to make bolder statements with the clothes they wear. Indeed Anderson said his S/S 2025 collection had partly been inspired by seeing young people experiment with their outfits when he had attended Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona earlier that year. ‘The experimentation with clothing among younger generations is incredible,’ he said post show. ‘The eye has changed within menswear and within womenswear. People want something that is really challenging.’

Hybrid accessories: the Wallpaper* edit

After 27 years, Raf Simons will close his eponymous label, the Belgian designer announced in an Instagram post this evening. Founded in 1995, the cult Antwerp-based label melded the energy of youth and counter-cultural movements with a precise, minimalist approach to cut and silhouette; in the years since, Simons has continued the label alongside stints at Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein. He is currently co-creative director of Prada alongside Miuccia Prada, a role he will continue.

The announcement marks his S/S 2023 show – a co-ed outing shown at London nightclub Printworks – as his final collection. ‘The Spring/Summer 2023 collection is the conclusion of an extraordinary 27-year journey and the final season of the Raf Simons brand,’ he wrote in the Instagram post. ‘I lack the words to share how proud I am of all that we have achieved. I am grateful for the incredible support from my team, from my collaborators, from the press team and buyers, and from our devoted fans and loyal followers.’

Indeed, Simons’ label has a cult following both inside and outside of the fashion industry, best evidenced by a thriving resale market of his most memorable designs (in 2020, in a project titled ‘Archive Redux’, he reissued 100 pieces from his archive). Collaboration was also at the heart of his process, working closely with Belgian compatriots photographer Willy Vanderperre, stylist Olivier Rizzo, and make-up artist Peter Philips throughout his career (each studied at Royal Academy Antwerp), while also working on collaborative projects with brands including Fred Perry, Kvadrat, Eastpak, Adidas and more. 

The Raf Simons studio also ushered in the careers of a new generation of designers who worked for the Antwerp-based label, including Pieter Mulier, current creative director of Alaïa, and Matthieu Blazy, current creative director of Bottega Veneta. Numerous other designers have cited his influence, and Simons also maintained close links with the art world; most memorably, he created an A/W 2014 collection with Sterling Ruby, whereby both Simons’ and the American artist’s name appeared in the label.

The designer’s final collection, which was titled ‘Corps, Coda’ and shown during London’s Frieze Week (see our fashion moments of Frieze Week 2022), looked towards the world of dance for inspiration. ‘The energy of dance, the impact of the body… a celebration,’ the notes described of the collection, which featured cut-off ballet tights, romper suits and sweaters that replicated the shape of an undone leotard. ‘Bare, spare, cut away, stripped back… a reduction to an essence, to essential form.’

Few could have predicted the blockbuster show – with over 1,000 attendees, including milliner Stephen Jones and Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli – would be his last. ‘Forward always,’ the designer signed off.

rafsimons.com

In the eight years since Kvadrat and Raf Simons joined forces to develop an upholstery range, their luscious fabrics have gained a near-mythical status. New launches during Salone del Mobile and 3 Days of Design are always greeted with fervour, and tote bags made from the fabrics and offered to a select few on these occasions have become collectibles among those in-the-know. Thus the arrival of a full Kvadrat/Raf Simons accessories collection in August 2022 is destined to be welcomed with open arms: so confident is the Danish textile brand in this collection’s success that they are breaking from tradition to open a dedicated accessories store in Copenhagen.

Kvadrat Raf Simons accessories launch

The collection comprises cushions, throws, a tote bag and a shopping bag, as well as a small tray, an accessory box, a magazine holder, a cap, and two key chains: the last two marking a departure from Kvadrat’s long-standing focus on the home. Most of them are made from Vidar 4, a tightly woven fabric from the Kvadrat/Raf Simons range with a gentle satin surface finish (it ‘gives a sense of artistry that does not feel industrial,’ describes Simons), while a handful incorporate leather. Uniting these items is what Kvadrat and Simons refer to as a ‘Shaker System’: a horizontal bar based on the peg rail used by Shakers, a Protestant religious group known for its distinctive design and architectural style.

‘The collection consists of a unified series, a storage system and edit of accessories honouring utility, function and materiality. While living in the US, I developed a deep appreciation of Shaker culture. Its ordered homes and simple functional furniture are considered the first modern American design,’ explains Simons.

The wall-mounted system is striking in appearance: Simons says the choice of material – powder-coated aluminium, upholstered in Vidar 4 – nods at once to the minimalist sculptures of John McCracken, and the work of French decorative arts designer Jacques Adnet, who made cladding furniture in leather his métier. ‘This is a major flashback to my early days as a graduate industrial designer. Whatever it is in terms of design, it has to serve the human being and it has to be put in the context of the environment in which people are living. We created the Shaker System to be visually appealing, but the main focus was its functionality.’

Functionality, too, is the driving force behind the individual accessories, which have pared-back forms, limited ornamentation, and a strict colour palette, allowing their materials to truly shine. ‘If the product is pure and simple, you have to pay extra attention to your quality – sometimes you hide defects with complicated things and lots of stitches and stuff, but there was nothing to hide here,’ he says. Still, Simons is not overly insistent on perfection, and he’s particularly excited by the ability of the leather to develop a patina over time. ‘A lot of objects here will patinate because you will have them in your hands all the time. That’s the beauty, when you feel that it’s a living piece.’

The collection is available in four colourways: black, off-white, dark green and pink. Where the materials vary, Simons has taken great pains to ensure that they have the same tone: the Vidar exterior of the cap is carefully matched with its sateen inner lining, similarly, the Vidar body and leather handles and front pocket of the tote bag blend seamlessly together. The visual effect of having multiple accessories in a consistent colour is impressive, though Simons believes that the colours (particularly the dark green and pink) combine well together, and is happy for consumers to mix and match. He’s even designed two of the throws to be double-faced, in contrasting colours.

Aside from these throws, which are conspicuously imprinted with the Kvadrat/Raf Simons logo, the designer has kept the branding subtle: a small monogram engraved on the metal buckle of the cap, an embossed logo on the leather front pocket of the Vidar tote bag, engravings on the individual rings of the key chain. Unusually, the lambswool throw and lambswool cushion are adorned with the original Kvadrat label from 1968, a detail that enthuses Simons: ‘that May ’68 period of cultural and political revolution and its aftermath was an extremely interesting time, where social principles also found their way to the arts, architecture, city planning and design,’ he observes. ‘It became more about serving the people, functionality instead of solely aesthetic objectives. This ‘60s attitude is still discernible at Kvadrat: there’s this feeling of total freedom, total experiment, reflecting a hippie kind of attitude.’

To present the new collection, Simons is showcasing the accessories on the Shaker System alongside furniture from Swedish designer Axel Einar Hjorth, who was particularly active during the 1920s and 1930s. ‘You can instantly see his pragmatic focus on simplicity and functionality as well as its formal connection to the Shakers’ aesthetics,’ he explains. True to Kvadrat’s Danish roots, the dedicated store will be in Copenhagen, but the brand is also collaborating with 48 retail partners around the globe for special pop-ups, among them Dover Street Market in London, Andreas Murkudis in Berlin and 10 Corso Como in Milan. Here, ‘people can really immerse themselves in the world of Kvadrat/Raf Simons and feel and see how Raf envisioned the accessories in the home and understand the Shaker concept,’ says Njusja de Gier, senior vice president of marketing and digital at Kvadrat. 

Ultimately, Simons wants his collection to encourage users to approach accessories with the same care and consideration that they give to larger items of furniture: ‘I hope it inspires people to buy small objects with the same mind as when they buy a chair, to put it in the context of their environment.’

INFORMATION

The Kvadrat/Raf Simons accessories collection launches on 10 August 2022. The dedicated store is located on Møntergade 3D, Copenhagen
shaker.kvadratrafsimons.com, kvadratrafsimons.com
Dover Street Market in London will host an exclusive installation, see london.doverstreetmarket.com

Back in February, journalists in Milan, agog at the news that Raf Simons was joining Miuccia Prada as co-creative director of the historic house, speculated over espressos as to what the duo’s debut show would bring. But no one imagined that their first S/S 2021 show would not be physical – but live streamed worldwide without an in-person audience – to journalists, buyers and Prada fans alike. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to deepen our relationship with the digital world, and Simons and Prada touched on the importance of today's online universe, stating ‘technology is a part of humanity itself’, in S/S 2021’s show notes. As anticipatory fans live streamed the show from their iPhones, laptops and tablets, models strode within an all yellow curtain lined space lined with plush carpet – designed by regular show set collaborators OMA/AMO. The ceiling hung with monitors – today’s utilitarian take on the decorative chandelier. Usually, post Prada shows, journalists scramble backstage to listen to Miuccia Prada’s take on her designs. For spring, this audience was opened up, with Prada and Simons staging a Q+A post show, answering questions submitted worldwide from online guests from Kiev to Nara.

In S/S 2021’s show notes, Prada and Simons described the collection as ‘a creative conversation in progress.’ Exploring the concept of uniforms (an attitude to dressing that has resonated with designers for spring), it featured facets of the duo’s design heritage. Simons’ streamlined silhouettes, and focus on streetwear shapes and typography, and Prada’s subversively feminine shapes and exploration of colour. Fifties pleated skirts were paired with hoodies, emblazoned with slogans designed by Simons’ regular collaborator Peter de Potter. Icky archive prints from A/W 1996 and S/S 996 were used as canvases to print onto and the Prada logo was reimagined in a soft padded triangle, the only embellishment on pared-back nylon vests and trousers.

Prada and Simons spoke of ‘garments are drawn around the body, held by the hand’ and in a well-known Miuccia-ism, models clutched moire opera coats and technical mackintoshes around their chests. Hybrid design was also a focus, with shawl coats featuring in-built bags and mini skirts, with soft pouches. The designs spoke of a duality between utilitarian and elegance – paradoxes integral to Prada’s design DNA.

 As part of Prada and Simon’s Q+A, Celia Thomson asked: ‘Is anything authentically “new” anymore or is everything regenerated’? In response, Simons mused: ‘The new just for the sake of doing new, doesn’t sound like the most important word.’ S/S 2021 saw a rejection of the superfluous, an evolution of heritage and a collaborative approach to design. They're tenets that will always trump novelty.

INFORMATION 

prada.com

‘I hoover now these days, a lot,’ says Raf Simons over the phone, each of us speaking from home. We’re discussing our domestic activities during these different and uncertain times. By chance, home is key to the Belgian fashion designer’s latest launch with Danish brand Kvadrat – two new textiles that exude a concert of comfort and cosiness.

‘They give me so much depth and time to develop things which I definitely relate to,’ says Simons fondly, reflecting on when Kvadrat CEO Anders Byriel proposed the collaboration to him. Kvadrat’s deadlines were somewhat different to his experiences in fashion – he got over a year to develop the first collection in 2014.

A slow and steady pace describes Simons’s latest collection with Kvadrat well – two new lines titled Helia and Silas. ‘I said that I would like to make a little switch in the feel of the fabric,’ Simons explains of his approach to this range. Previous collections have showcased dynamic juxtaposition in colours, and build on the historic techniques of Kvadrat. ‘For this collection I said I would like to stretch it out now and add elements of tactility and surface, physically as well as visually.’ The result is two textiles that have a thicker warp, are highly textured and soothing to hold.

Home, now more than ever, is an integral part of Simon’s life. ‘The home is a place where I can slow the whole thing down. More and more I think about functionality, calmness and privacy.’ Simons particularly sees homeliness in the Silas fabric, and the velvety, slightly rippled texture that is ‘not too pristine and clean. I wanted to [create] something that feels like you have been living with it for a long time.’

Simon’s mind went to furs, bouclé and cashmeres for inspiration too. ‘I was thinking about my time at Jil Sander back in the day. It was a daily thing to work with cashmeres, and the brand was into the idea of comfort and luxury, not only literally but also in a kind of feeling sense.’ Helia is bouclé textile that is woven to resemble the fur texture, with a patterned effect, while Silas has a cotton wool-style  surface, achieved though several days of unraveling and beating.

‘One of the things I’m most interested and obsessed with is colour,’ Simons expresses when discussing the palette choice. Compared to the brightness and bichrome intensity of previous ranges, the colours for these two new ranges are solid, warm and earthy. ‘There is also a couple of teddy bear colours,’ Simons mentions of the biscuit tones.

With these two textiles, Simons was eager to hone in on human feel, and how our bodies interact with them, a technical challenge for the Kvadrat lab that was achieved seamlessly, especially with Silas – Simons muses, ‘effectively it looks like a kind of cosy warm cashmere coat.’

INFORMATION

kvadratrafsimons.com

In a milestone move in fashion history, it was announced at a press conference this morning in Milan that Belgian designer Raf Simons would be joining Prada as its co-creative director. It’s a rumour that has been circulating within fashion media circles for months. Simons, who recently held positions at the creative helm of Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein will take alongside Miuccia Prada — equal responsibility across creative input and decision making. The duo’s first collection will be debuted in September for Prada’s S/S 2021 womenswear collection.

Prada and Simons have long held a mutual respect for each other, musing in conversation in issue 8 of System on the incredible possibility of working together and at each other’s brands (Simons’ eponymous menswear line has a loyal, avant-garde following, celebrating subculture, music and film). Both are known for their modern, intelligent and subversive takes on femininity and the announcement ushers in an exciting and imaginative era for the 107-year old brand, which saw Mrs Prada take the creative helm in 1978. ‘As times change, so should creativity,’ Simons and Prada stated in today’s press release. ‘It is a reaction to the era in which we live in, an epoch with fresh possibilities permitting a different point of view and approach to established methodologies.’

‘If the notion of a partnership is to work jointly, the result of that conversation may not only be product, but also the propagation of thought and culture,’ the statement continued. The fashion world will wait for Simons’ and Prada’s new vision in September with drawn breath.

INFORMATION

prada.com

It makes sense that ‘SHOW OFF: Austrian Fashion Design’ is huge in scale. It is, after all, the first ever major exhibition of Austrian fashion. Hence, enormous, visually ambitious, displays show the work of 66 designers, 34 photographers, and 250 fashion objects. It’s not just a numbers game, though. Curators Ulrike Tschabitzer-Handler and Andreas Bergbaur balance size and audio and visual spectacle with historical sensitivity as they carefully guide the viewer through five themed spaces about the social and cultural factors shaping Austrian fashion since the 1970s, from fashion education, distribution, and publications to the garments themselves.

Upon entering, the viewer is confronted by talking heads, a video installation showing projections of interviews with agents, stylists, journalists, and managers about Vienna’s fashion scene. This, logically, leads to a look at the fashion department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (‘die Angewandte’). Since the 1980s, guest professors like Karl Lagerfeld, Jil Sander, Raf Simon, and Vivien Westwood have informed the work of young Austrian designers. This information is blasted at you from either side as you walk a runway framed by two huge LCD screens by projection artists Lumine showing output from the school over the years.

SHOW OFF’s centrepiece is a huge scaffolding-like sculpture designed by architect Gregor Eichinger containing 40 years of clothing, shoes, bags, and jewellery from designers including Helmut Lang, Rudi Gernreich, Andreas Kronthaler, and newcomers like Kenneth Ize. It allows a 360-degree-view, accessible by stairs from several levels. Most importantly, since the Austrian state does not have a permanent fashion collection, the viewer has the unique chance to get close to garments without them being stuck behind glass like traditional museum pieces.

The exhibition ends with two neon-lit glass cases containing examples of fashion publications about or from Austria, including issues of Wallpaper* and i-D from the late 1990s and locally important magazines like Wiener, Take, and INDIE. This not only places Austrian fashion design in the wider context of style shifts in graphic design, photography, and typography, but shows that, though the Alpine republic isn’t the first place you think of when it comes to contemporary fashion, it is more than a museum for classic styles from the past.

INFORMATION

‘SHOW OFF: Austrian Fashion Design’, MAK (Museum of Applied Arts), until 12 July. mak.at

ADDRESS

Museum of Applied Arts
Stubenring 5, 1010 Wien
Austria

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Scene Setting: The show was staged some 5.3kms outside of the centre of Paris, as is customary for the designer. Yellow carpeting covered the vast space, running halfway up the walls and under windows and then peeling down. Guests stood in the middle as the sound of Radiohead signalled the start of the show. At the head of the catwalk a smart yellow sun hovered just above the floor bringing to mind Olafur Eliasson’s installation at Tate Modern in 2003. The light channelled an optimistic futurism – somewhere between the dawn in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and the rays setting on a faraway desert. 

Mood board: The look was 2000s sci-fi. Models had hands wrapped inside muffs printed with the words: ‘Arrival: the future has begun’ and ‘Solar Youth: they don’t want you to know what you are.’ Long slim coats had ‘RS LAB’ printed on the chest pocket and were worn with metallic high neck tops. Ponchos elongated the line of the body and restricted the arms. A fuzzy coat was laminated down the back; some looks came out smothered in clear plastic. 

Finishing touches: Ahead of the show Simons unveiled five iterations of a new ‘Runner’ shoe – an ankle boot with zips up the back and moulded half-trainer heel. News of the project – which will be manufactured solely by Simons rather than with a sports brand – broke a week before via the designer’s Instagram account. The capsule of eight styles will be ‘an investigation of form and function and an exploration of shape, the typical silhouettes of sports sneakers are re-proposed.’ Simons is stepping into the future with a modish, sporty sartorialism. 

Scene setting: Simons’s show was held an hour outside of Paris in an industrial hanger-like space – he enjoys presenting his work outside of the inner circle, and so the mood was both cautious and cool. There was a punky spirit to the S/S 2020 collection bolstered further by the bricolage set. Guests sat on standard-issue office swivel chairs, wrapped in glossy black plastic designed by Bureau Betak. The floor was a pale purple carpet. The music ricocheted off the metal walls.

Mood board: Earlier in the season, Simons’ longstanding collaborator Sterling Ruby debuted his own line of ready-to-wear and accessories at Pitti Uomo 96; the rumour was that Simons’ hand was all over it (his right-hand man Pieter Mulier even walked in the show). For Simons’ label, the painterly graphics and textures of Ruby’s work was there in T-shirts which were printed and then painted, almost lacquered over. Long collarless jackets – labelled RS lab coats – had scraps of fabrics pinned on as if ready to be resampled. Shorts were cut high on the thigh and covered in patches that read: ‘MY OWN PRIVATE ANTWERP, ‘STONE(D) AMERICA’ and ‘HOW TO TEXT YOUR TEEN.’ Everything Simons does smells like 90s teen sprit. The look had a rebellious collegiate kink. Smock dresses worn on top of shirting and rolled up trousers had ruched gloves which gave them a perverse punk.

Best in show: Standout were the outerwear and coats. A check dressing gown style and a camel trench came with lapels folded in on themselves. A double breasted blazer had its sleeves hacked off. Late 1980s dinner jackets with wide shoulders and white lapels were shrugged on over horror-movie-summer-camp-clothes. Leather wellies were embossed with upside down smiley faces.

It’s no small feat during the marathon that is Milan Design Week for a project to make you want to stick around a while. But Kvadrat’s exhibition at Garage Ventuno in collaboration with Raf Simons did exactly that. Now in its sixth iteration, Kvadrat and Raf Simons presented four new textiles in an extraordinary exhibition that encompassed both mid-century architecture and the darlings of the London culinary scene.

Within the industrial space, the Antwerp-based designer installed what can only be described as ‘Raf Simons Suburban’: a vaguely dystopian neighbourhood rendered in the designer’s unique vision. Entitled ‘No Man’s Land’, it consists of a series of prefab wood and steel structures by mid-century architect Jean Prouvé. Outside the cabins’ front doors, shredded textiles are scattered across the floor in lieu of grass, Le Corbusier Lampe Diabolo lights act as street lamps, fences are colourfully constructed from textiles — Novus 1 and Novus 2 both from the new collection — and a monumental front garden featuring a luscious bed of wildflowers by longtime collaborator Mark Colle sprawls outwards towards the entrance. It is exactly what one imagines the suburbs would look like with Simons in charge.

Within the three Prouvé buildings, there is a seating area for visitors — decked out in Rietveld Utrecht chairs by Cassina — a home and a workshop, inside which Kvadrat has narrated the production process that goes into making their sophisticated textiles. The collection includes four new upholstery fabrics influenced by Simons’ interest in fashion, art, music, design and architecture: Atom, Phlox, Novus 1 and Novus 2, which make use of heavy structures like corduroy and jacquard-woven bouclé in wool, cotton, linen and viscose. ‘I am interested in all the qualities that have an origin in fashion like bouclé, tweed and corduroy. Because of the density that is needed for furniture in order to make it last in the long run, it becomes even more interesting I think,’ Simons explains of the new collection.

The job of the neighbourhood’s cafe went to London’s Rochelle Canteen, who have been serving up classic dishes from its much-loved menus, including radishes and cod’s roe, braised squid and roast quail. The cafe strikes a serene balance in comparison to the somewhat eery installation, with bistro style tables decorated with fresh flowers and gently lit from above by the factory’s skylight. Between the snacks and the atmosphere, spending a few hours during the hectic week feels like time well spent.

INFORMATION
‘No Man’s Land’ is on view 9-14 April. For more information, visit the Kvadrat Raf Simons website

ADDRESS

via Archemide 26

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Mood board: The collection saw Simons riffing on punk. Super wide coats in shiny satins and saccharine hues came with large globular studs. Skinny silk tops were pleated and draped formally at the neck; silver rings swung gently from tabs applied all over the front of jersey roll necks. The clothes had a pop art decadence. A mashing up of decoration and destruction. Lurex sweaters had rogue neck holes; archival portraits on t-shirts were studded with diamanté earrings.

Scene setting: Simons retuned to Paris after showing his namesake collection in New York last season. Guests were invited to an old metal works in Montreuil, deep in the eastern suburbs of Paris. Inside the industrial space, a large, low catwalk was installed with metallic female mannequins suspended from the ceiling and draped in the manner of Allen Jones next to baroque mirrors. The mood was sexual and dark. Lasers scanned the room. The hubbub from the assembled crowd including Kim Jones, Naomi Campbell, A$AP Rocky and Takashi Murakami was feverish – the room throbbed with anticipation.

Finishing touches: Stand out were the louche wool overcoats slashed out to expose their inner workings; their silky linings and exposed wadding had a poetic urgency. Models wore leather net tops based on the construction of plastic beer can rings, or held metallic skins studded with aluminum cans.

Calvin Klein has marked its exhibition debut at Design Miami/Basel, with ‘An Expansive International Landscape’; featuring a selection of Cassina 'Feltri' chairs presented against a barnyard scene

This year, a change of structure at Design Miami/ Basel allowed visitors to navigate from the fair to Unlimited, Art Basel’s exhibition displaying large-scale artworks. Marking this structural change and connecting the two shows was one of this edition’s most special projects, serving as a gateway between art and design, celebrating both.

Calvin Klein made its Design Miami debut with the project, titled ‘An Expansive International Landscape’, featuring a combination of design, culture and craftsmanship curated by chief creative officer Raf Simons. For his installation, Simons focused on Feltri, an armchair created by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce for Cassina in 1987 as an ironic take on a royal throne.

The chair’s shape features a thin wool-felt structure, created using a special technique that allows the base (infused with thermosetting resin) to be structurally firm, while the top is soft and enveloping, two flaps of the material sticking out into a now-renowned shape. Simons made great use of the chair’s fluid and soft structure, combining it with a series of one-of-a-kind American heirloom quilts that date to the 19th and 20th centuries, that create what he calls a ‘cultural correspondence’: an eclectic icon of contemporary design meets an emblem of American craft and culture.

Since joining Calvin Klein in 2015, Simons has been on a mission to explore the different guises of the quintessential American spirit. His collection’s have made reference to tropes of US culture, like Hollywood startlets, cartoon characters, masculine heroes and prairie maidens. Quilts have featured predominantly, being used as linings on parkas; carried by models on the catwalk; their graphic  motifs replicated on shirts and flowing dresses.

The 50 pieces are shown in a vast open space, the chairs scattered across a purple carpet anchored by a large-scale barn, concepted by Simons for the CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC A/W 2018 runway show, and reconstructed from reclaimed 19th-century wood. Large-scale images of artwork by Andy Warhol feature prominently on the barn’s walls, part of the brand’s ongoing collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The multi-faceted project is evidence of Simons’ ability to merge cultural references and aesthetics, and a perfect fit for Design Miami/Basel: so much so, that all 50 chairs were snapped up on day one. §

See more from Design Miami/ Basel 2018

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Design Miami/Basel website; the Calvin Klein website

Every year since 1986, the fashion world has been invited into the modernist sanctuary of the sprawling Villa Noailles, hidden in the hills above Hyères. Installations from ready-to-wear, photography and accessory design talents stand in rooms once occupied by prototype chairs by Marcel Breuer, the textiles of Sonia Delaunay and paintings by Mondrian and Braque; the ghost of Giacometti lurks in the surrounding gardens.

The villa was built by Robert Mallet-Stevens for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles in the late 1920s as a manifesto of modernity, with spaces dedicated to the pursuit of physical fitness. For the 33rd International Festival of Fashion and Photography, the walls of the squash court were papered in outsized celebrity portraits taken by the President of the Fashion Photography jury, Bettina Rhiems, for Details magazine in the late 1990s. The covered indoor swimming pool on the top floor hosted an exhibition of designers including Nicolas Ghesquière, Jun Takahashi and Azzedine Alaïa, curated by Haider Ackermann who presides over the Grand Prize of the Jury Première Vision. Christelle Kocher, artistic director of the House of Lemarié, laid 4.5 metres of white cotton cloth out on the terrace, inviting guests to craft delicate flower embroideries from rhinestone, silk, cotton and rhodoid.

Many of the talents dialled down the technology-first stance taking over much of the design world; creativity, craft and common sense were on intense display. In a narrow room flanked by rippled plastic columns sat the work of the ten shortlisted accessories designers, each honing their own, earthy style. Overseen by Kocher, the accessory prize is in its second year and is the only competition of its kind in Europe.

The mood was majestically millennial: part-accessory-part-protest, the duo behind Keef Palas, whose work we featured last month, showed earrings fashioned out of garlic cloves and olive leaves; Jinah Jung from South Korea collaged discarded prototype trainers donated by Le Coq Sportif into sculptural bags; Cécile Gray from Paris (who was awarded the public prize) developed a technique of making gauzy garments from steel wire during a sabbatical from her job as an architect. Piecing every junction of her windowpane-check filigree dress together took 150 hours of handwork. She said, ‘You need time to become an expert and in this busy, fast-paced world this is something we should cultivate.’

The finalists in each of the categories are chosen by a notable roll call of judges selected from more than 300 applicants. In recent times a more cross-disciplinary, collaborative approach has become de rigueur, reflecting a wider shift in attitudes to creation.

Fittingly, the Swarovski Fashion Accessories Grand Prize of the Jury went to product designers Flora Fixy and Julia Dessirier who were approached by photographer Kate Fichard to re-think the crude, perfunctory design of domestic hearing devices. The resulting project ‘H(Earring)’ sits at the junction between medicine and fashion. The judges were impressed with how the aid had been emphasised and exaggerated using wax casting and 3D modelling – its sculptural qualities rendered in precious metals. ‘Fashion is an amplifier for socio-political issues. Our jewellery is first an answer to the user’s needs, but it is a political tool too,’ the winners said.

In 2003 the Villa Noailles became an arts centre open to the public. Its cold white angles form a sharp backdrop to the corporeal business of fashion. New York based Eva O’Leary was awarded the prize for photography with her series ‘Spitting Image’, which records the seconds between reflection and the rejection of the self. O’Leary photographed teenage girls sitting in front of two-way mirrors. ‘Letting someone photograph you is such an act of trust,’ she says. ‘This project has so much to do with vulnerability and the power in it. How we see ourselves, how we wish to see ourselves – the separation between the two.’ The girls in her photographs are a generation who use their mobile phones as mirrors. ‘The project was fuelled by a frustration at having to hide perceived flaws and I could sense that many of my own insecurities were belittled in the culture at large. Working with the girls was incredibly liberating, it was as if we shared a secret and could finally talk about it. This work made me trust my instincts in a new way,’ she said.

The focus on physicality stood out in Paris-based photographer Allyssa Heuze’s work too. She was awarded the Wallpaper* ‘New Generation’ x Hyères Photography Prize for her quirky, performative series entitled ‘OÏ’. A mixture of still life and staged portraiture, Heuze’s work challenges mainstream representations of sex in a playful and metaphorical way. She will shoot a fashion story for Wallpaper*’s January 2019 ‘New Generation’ issue, our annual celebration of fresh creative talent. ‘I have the same childlike, naive mind-set with my subjects no matter what I am shooting’ she says. ‘I’m interested in everyday objects and everyday scenes… telling a story through moments that are usually banal, with humour.’ There is both an oddness and a positivity to her pictures.

The grand prize was awarded to Wallpaper* Graduate Directory 2018 designers Rushemy Botter & Lisi Herrebrugh for their collection ‘Fish Or Fight’. Billed as an ode to their shared Caribbean roots, the duo took inspiration from fishermen whose large colourful nets, worn slung over the shoulder, were translated into draped coats and louche, layered separates. ‘I sketch and from there Lisi takes the lead, translating the sketches into real garments,’ Botter said. ‘We don’t want it to look difficult. It takes a lot of technical details to give it this ease.’ Based in Antwerp, the designers – who were also nominated for the 2018 LVMH Prize earlier this year – will be granted 15,000 euros and will collaborate on a project with Chanel’s Métiers d’Art. Mercedes-Benz will also invite the duo to show during Berlin Fashion Week’s Spring 2019 collections in July.

Mercedes-Benz has supported the festival since 2012. This year, it showcased shortlisted designers from the fashion RTW category and pieces by previous winners and competitors. Last year’s grand prize winner Vanessa Schindler returned to Hyères with a collection developed in partnership with Chanel's Maison Lesage. Her work establishes a new vocabulary for fashion and uses liquid polyurethane to secure layers of fabric. ‘I had some time to visit all of the different maisons first and by January I knew exactly what I wanted to do,’ she says of the collaboration. ‘I asked them to embroider plastic and they agreed – they were so open-minded it was crazy!’

Maison Goossens produced earrings onto which Schindler poured liquid polymer. She said, ‘I work more like a sculptor in a way. But I am not an artist. I make fashion.’

The Canadian designer Marie-Ève Lecavalier received an Honourable Mention from the Jury for her MA collection entitled ‘Come Get Trippy With Us’. Described as a luxury version of the psychedelic visions of Frank Zappa's music, Lecavalier worked with thick leathers, left over and rejected from production and recycled denims. Jeans featured in each outfit either as wide trousers, or left unstitched at the crotch as skirts. The look was precise, powerful and poised. ‘I think it’s important to make things by hand,’ she said. ‘I think this attitude is coming back and that’s exciting.’

Lecavalier – who is interning at Raf Simons in Antwerp and was also awarded the Chloé Prize for her plaited leather and diamante dress – embodied the millennial pragmatism of this year’s festival: a focus on touch; a return to making special things special again; a consciousness of consumption. The new guard are battening down, working together, talking, delivering meaningful, beautifully-designed statements. ‘It’s really only about your work and how it touches people,’ she says.

INFORMATION

Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography took place from 26-30 April. For more information, visit the Villa Noailles website

Pompoms, chrome doors and streamers are just some of the objects suspended from the ceiling of Calvin Klein 205W39NYC’s newly opened 15,000 sq ft headquarters in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. The two-floor space, designed by the New York-based firm Architecture Research Office, features an immersive artwork conceived by Sterling Ruby. The California-based multimedia artist is a longtime collaborator of the brand’s chief creative officer Raf Simons, and has been integral in cementing his paint-spattered, pop-art centric and Americana infused vision of the label since he took its creative helm in August 2016.

Sterling has already overhauled Calvin Klein 205W39NYC’s 12th floor showroom and the ground floor space of its 205 West 39th Street headquarters in New York. The floors feature red white and blue canvas covered walls, suspended metal buckets and soft sculptures. The brand also reopened its Ruby-designed Manhattan flagship last August, one featuring bright yellow scaffolding, suspended fringing and quilted wall hangings, in a sublime blend of art meets commerce.

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC’s Paris headquarters will house the brand’s men’s and women’s collections, which for A/W 2018 took inspiration from 50 words used to represent the United States. A royal blue reception area welcomes guests, featuring upholstered walls and a sweeping circular curtain. Upstairs on the mezzanine level, brightly coloured laminate tables and pedestals populate the space. Ruby’s mobile sculpture hangs from the vaulted ceiling, its natural grey ceiling forming the backdrop to suspended pompoms, flags, metal buckets and baseball bats. 

Simons’ A/W 2018 show for the brand was a blend of old and new symbols of America, and featured prairie dresses and spaceman suits, rodeo shirts and cartoon prints. Calvin Klein 205W39NYC’s new Paris base also blends the modern with the antique. Ruby’s schizophrenic mobile hangs from a vaulted ceiling, which retains the curved metal markings of its 1800s architecture.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Calvin Klein 205W39NYC website

Mood board: The cautionary tale of Christiane F, a teenager that took to the streets of 1970s West Berlin, riddled by drug use and addiction, was the main inspiration behind Raf Simons’ latest creations. Entitled ‘Youth in Motion’, the collection not only delved into the dark, rebellious and utilitarian aspects of late 70s/early 80s counter culture, it also wove in text excerpts from Cookie Mueller and Glenn O’Brien’s 1980s play Drugs, which appeared as graphics that were scattered across the garments.

Scene setting: Set on a raised stage adorned with wilting flower arrangements, platters piled with pears, pomegranates, charcuterie, cheese and wedges of chocolates, and a spread of empty bottles and glasses filled with wine and poised for the taking, the opulent backdrop to Simons’ standing room-only presentation was akin to a Flemish still-life tableau brought to life. Juxtaposed by reverberating techno music and club-worthy laser lighting that pierced through the room as models proceeded out in mid-century couture house fashion, the vibrant pastiche of high and low, past and present was an exciting encapsulation of Simons’ brand in totality.

Team work: In addition to sloped shouldered jackets, deconstructed knitwear and tapered trousers embellished with patches printed with abbreviations of narcotic substances like 'LSD' and 'XTC', Simons incorporated imagery and titles from Uli Edel’s 1981 film Christiane F on to t-shirts and garments to mark the persistent relevance that those same troubles have today. In recognition of the taboos still surrounding drugs and addiction, part of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to organisations supporting those recovering from addiction.

Left, Lemaire

A jolt of colour contributed to Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran’s ode to German aesthetics of the 1970s and 1980s.

Shirt, £270; trousers, £395; shoes, £340, all by Lemaire


Right, Christopher Kane

The designer’s saccharine yet sensual domestic goddess favoured frothy ruffled details and scarlet shades.

Coat, £3,995, by Christopher Kane. Earrings, £225, by Fay Andrada

As originally featured in the February 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*227)

Far left, Céline

Powerful proportions informed Phoebe Philo’s collection, like this draped dress with an accentuating leather waistline.

Dress, €4,500, by Céline. Earrings, €635, by Proenza Schouler. Tights, £35, by Wolford


Left, Lanvin

In a collection inspired by our fragmented digital age, different looks were spliced together, such as this utility-focused boiler suit and jacket.

Coat, £2,250; jumpsuit, £2,650; collar, £280, all by Lanvin


Right, Jil Sander

As part of their debut for the German house, Luke and Lucie Meier offset monastic shapes against skin-baring chequered fabrics.

Dress, £2,220; culottes, £560, both by Jil Sander. Earrings, £240, by Ambush. ‘Stromboli’ table, €5,800, by India Mahdavi

Left, Dior Homme

Sharp tailoring was offset by a soft nostalgia, evoked by ribbon scarves bearing the Rue de Marignan address of the Dior men’s studio in Paris.

Jacket, £1,600; trousers, £590; scarf, £230, all by Dior Homme. Shoes, £387, by Pierre Hardy


Right, Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri paid homage to Niki de Saint Phalle, this trench coat nodding to the French-American sculptor’s bold use of colour.

Coat, £4,700; boots, £1,150, both by Dior

Left, Raf Simons

There were Japanese elements to the Belgian designer’s offering, which featured oversized blazers buttoned across the chest in homage to the cut of a kimono.

Blazer, €1,239, by Raf Simons


Right, Hermès

Workwear stitching and movement-friendly shapes did the heavy lifting in Véronique Nichanian’s relaxed offering.

Shirt, £590; trousers, £540, both by Hermès. Scarf, vintage, from Kiliwatch Paris. ‘CH23’ dining chair, £569, by Hans J Wegner, for Carl Hansen & Søn

Left, Saint Laurent

Anthony Vaccarello continued his love affair with the 1980s with voluminous puffball silhouettes inspired by vintage haute couture.

Dress, £12,855, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Earrings, €635, by Proenza Schouler


Right, Louis Vuitton

For his Hawaii-inspired collection, menswear director Kim Jones juxtaposed monogrammed surfer tops with oversized Wall Street suiting.

Jacket, £1,950; shirt, £600; top, £440; trousers, £650, all by Louis Vuitton. ‘D.156.3’ armchair, €4,524, by Gio Ponti, for Molteni & C


Far right, Louis Vuitton

Meanwhile, head of womenswear Nicolas Ghesquière used leather to add a modern edge to the high necks and wide collars of regimental frock coats.

Coat, £7,500, by Louis Vuitton. Earrings, £225, by Fay Andrada

Left, Gucci

Part of a catwalk collection that blended gender, genre and decade, Alessandro Michele’s gently flaring suit has real retro flair.

Jacket, £1,310; shirt, £355; trousers, £435; shoes, £2,070, all by Gucci


Right, Loewe

The Madrid-based house celebrates contemporary craft in this reinterpretation of the trench coat, shredded into curling streams of fabric.

Coat, £4,890; boots, £725, both by Loewe. Earrings, €635, by Proenza Schouler. ‘Henri’ bench, €4,860, by India Mahdavi

Far left, Prada

The women’s collection sported polka dots, plastics and fake folds, emphasising Miuccia Prada’s fascination with punk, 1950s fashion and trompe-l’oeil. 

Coat, £1,810, by Prada. Earrings, €635, by Proenza Schouler


Left, Prada

For menswear, her triple-layered silhouettes looked to comic strips, retro spacesuits and colour-blocked bowling shirts.

Coat, £3,005; shirt (tan), £435; boiler suit (red), £1,030, all by Prada


Right, Ermenegildo Zegna

Alessandro Sartori matched sports-luxe silhouettes with organic shades, as seen in this combo of caramel overcoat and trousers with jogging bottom detail.

Coat, £2,860; trousers, £800, both by Ermenegildo Zegna Couture. Shoes, £340, by Lemaire. Scarf, vintage, from Kiliwatch Paris. ‘Henri’ table, €11,880, by India Mahdavi

Left, Proenza Schouler

With this corset-detail overcoat, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez gave outerwear silhouettes an eveningwear vibe.

Coat, €3,170, by Proenza Schouler. ‘D.156.3’ armchair, as before


Right, Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld took on the elements with plastic fantastic double-breasted coats, rain hats and gloves.

Coat, £11,740, by Chanel. Earrings, €635, by Proenza Schouler. Tights, £35, by Wolford. ‘Henri’ bench, as before

Left, coat, €1,365, by Dirk Bikkembergs. Jumper, £350; trousers, £295, both by Coach. Shoes, £2,092, by Raf Simons. Socks (worn throughout), £15, by Falke. Right, jacket, £760; roll-neck, £135, both by Paul Smith. Trousers, £295, by Coach. Belt, £230, by Marni. Shoes, £710, by Prada. Fashion: Jason Hughes. As originally featured in the September 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*222)

At just 23, Anders Hayward has already fit three careers under his beautifully buckled belt. Among his many talents, the dancer, model and experimental choreographer has the rare ability to turn a hectic fashion shoot into a carefully orchestrated waltz.

For our September 2017 Style Special, we tapped Hayward to direct the movement for a menswear fashion shoot photographed by Liam Warwick, in which we celebrate clashing checks and plucky plaids. Creating a sense of movement beneath all these juxtaposing Prada, Calvin Klein and Salvatore Ferragamo patterns was essential. ‘During the styling process, I chose thematic movements that I felt would suit the clothes,’ Hayward explains, ‘I’m interested in designers that create clothes for characters – I enjoy creating fashion narratives.’

Game to become the leading men were our models, Georges Labbat and Baptiste Faure – despite their differing levels of dance experience. Labbat was the perfect match for Hayward, having trained in Belgium under intensely musical choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. But Anders enjoys the surprise and (sometimes inelegant) quirks that come from working with models with minimal formal dance training, like Faure. ‘It’s great to see a model who has never really been choreographed before come out with some really interesting, organic movement. On the other side I love pushing more experienced dancers, like Labbat, to move in ways that they’re not necessarily familiar with.’

Hayward also grappled with a sculptural set and an eclectic mix of refined furniture – including pieces from Aram, B&B Italia and Rodolfo Dordoni. ‘I had sketches and blueprints of what the space was going to look like before, so I had a few ideas in mind – especially for the image with the two boys in the circle,’ says Hayward. ‘We found that it worked best if they were constantly moving. When the two were in constant flow, I could just tweak a hand movement, a shoe placement, or the flourish of a lapel.’

Though we’re only treated to the static, freeze-framed result, the arching backs, awkward necks and stretching fingers of each model capture Hayward’s momentum-filled choreography – while proving one can do impressive backbends in a tailored Fendi suit.

Left, coat, £1,560; top, £780; trousers, £620, all by Calvin Klein 205W39NCY. Right, coat, £1,825; trousers (part of suit), price on request, both by Salvatore Ferragamo. Roll-neck, £155, by John Smedley. Belt, £310; shoes, £710, both by Prada. ‘Pollock’ armchair, £1,755, by Charles Pollock, for Knoll, from The Conran Shop. ‘Cesar’ side table, £808, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti

Raf Simons’ reworking of the Calvin Klein brand reached a new high with the reopening of its Madison Avenue flagship space in New York City. Coinciding with the arrival of Simons’ debut collection in store, the three-storey space – originally designed by John Pawson – has been transformed with an immersive floor-to-ceiling installation by the American artist Sterling Ruby.

The artist’s concept for the boutique plays off two other interiors projects he’s previously created for the label – the 12th floor showroom and the ground floor space of its 205 West 39th Street headquarters. It also echoes the brand’s new space at Dover Street Market New York. Filled with artfully arranged scaffolding, hanging sculptures by Ruby and awash with bright, traffic-sign yellow, the boutique’s interior is charged with a transient feel that straddles both realms of art and industry.

Ruby’s sculptures, which are made up of everyday objects and materials, also occasionally feature Calvin Klein’s 205W39NYC logo, reiterating the Peter Saville-designed moniker for Simons’ new vision. Vibrant, youthful and concurrently capturing the gleam and grit of American culture, the boutique visually epitomises the progressive energy of the iconic brand.

Filled with Simons’ A/W 2017 men’s and women’s collection for the label, and new denim, underwear and accessories offerings, the boutique brings the previously disparate facets of Calvin Klein’s universe effortlessly under one roof. A specially selected assortment of home objects, which include Homer Laughlin coffee mugs, ceramic vessels by ceramicist Rose Cabat and vintage Italian glassware, are mixed in throughout the store. One-of-a-kind vintage quilts also serve as a contemporary foil for the brand’s new all-white bedding collection.

Simons says, ‘I wanted the store to generate a very immediate physical experience that could as well be intimately connected to the collections. It is also a continuation of the language I am creating with Sterling for Calvin Klein’s visible and physical identity.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Calvin Klein website

ADDRESS

654 Madison Avenue
New York

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‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, is nothing shy of monumental. Spanning nearly 3,000 sq m of prime space, it first unfolds as a rich, thematic journey throughout the two floors of permanent fashion galleries. Then, as though the second of two acts, visitors proceed towards the museum’s vast nave where the story begins anew, starting with the iconic bar suit from spring 1947, continuing as a chronological focus on the maison’s six designers, and ending with a magically staged ball attended by seven decades of show-stopping gowns.

Not since 1987 has there been a Christian Dior retrospective in Paris. Thirty years later, to mark the maison’s 70th anniversary, this one ranks as the largest yet. Curated by the museum’s director Olivier Gabet, and Florence Müller, who is based at the Denver Art Museum as the Avenir Foundation curator of textile art and fashion, it features upwards of 300 haute couture gowns, many from the museum’s own collection. But arguably even more staggering are all the peripheral objects: the loaned artworks from major institutions, a vast trove of archive materials from the brand’s Dior Heritage department, 700 accessories sorted as a meandering rainbow wall (dubbed ‘Colorama’), plus scores of magazine covers and editorial spreads that testify to how widely and consistently the Dior image has been diffused (Maison Christian Dior was involved in the show beyond financial support).

Rather than forcing one point of view above others, what becomes clear is that the designer’s original vision has been so incredibly respected, preserved and mythologised since his death just ten years after founding his label. Visitors need only glance at the three-storey wall filled silhouettes conceived by all the subsequent creative directors in addition to Dries Van Noten, Alber Elbaz, Comme des Garçons, Alexander McQueen, Pierre Cardin, Yohji Yamamoto and others to sense that his influence and artistic spirit has been kept alive.

Within the exhibition’s biographical gallery, just down from a striking portrait of the designer by artist Bernard Buffet, he appears on a Time magazine cover dated March 4,1957 holding a giant pair of scissors. In his book, Christian Dior and I, he referred to ‘a small bloodless revolution – made by the scissors rather than the sword – whose reverberations extend to all corners of the world.’ Now consider last year’s must-have ‘Dio(r)evolution’ t-shirt, which Müller happened to be wearing four days before the opening when she and Gabet met for our interview.

’His intention was not to be a revolutionary; he was seeing himself more as a reactionary. It was a reaction against the fashion of the war,’ she explained. ‘It was a reaction that became a revolution. But it was not his intention; I think he was more subtle than this.’

Is the show subtle? Not to the extent that the exceptional scenography, overseen by Nathalie Crinière, presents a steady stream of visually stimulating backdrops, from the illuminated outlines of the 30 Avenue Montaigne façade projected onto the museum walls (don’t miss the upper oval medallion with its highlight reel of runway shows), to the thousands of white flowers suspended from the ceiling in the room exploring the maison’s myriad floral-inspired dresses.

The ambiance in the nave becomes something of a dreamscape thanks to projections of the baroque paintings from the Galerie des Glaces at Versailles, a simulated starry sky, and sparkling gold dust (Jean Cocteau famously noted how Mr Dior’s name was a near homophone with d’or, or gold). Here, in the presence of his glistening Junon and Venus gowns – along with at least two dozen others from Yves Saint Laurent through to Maria Grazia Chiuri – such overwhelming beauty successfully perpetuates the fashion fairytale.

But then to hear Gabet describe the selection process for the roughly 100 works of art placed throughout the exhibition is to also detect connections, surprises, and yes, subtleties that give the show added subtance. For while the paintings by Sterling Ruby and Agnes Martin adjacent to dresses by Raf Simons are obvious complements given his affinity for both artists; a torso of Nefertiti from the Louvre’s Egyptian department was only later discovered to exist as a photo in Galliano’s notebook. ‘It’s always when you are respectful to the artwork in the context of fashion that these beautiful and poetic things happen,’ Gabet suggested. ‘The point was not to be automatic but to always find the right and legitimate way.’

Mr Dior, after all, was a gallerist and art dealer before he became a designer; he revolved in creative circles with the likes of Salvador Dalí and Christian Bérard and mounted a surrealist show with his partner, Pierre Colle, in 1923. Chances are, he would have derived pleasure from seeing the modern maiden painted by Romaine Brooks in 1912, and a Fantin-Latour still life as juxtapositions to the floral dresses. Like other intimate vignettes in the show, it felt immune from any imposition of Dior, the mega-brand.

And it would be easy to declare the Colorama fixture the most apparent aspect of this with all the shoes, bags, hats, jewellery and perfume bottles. But Gabet sees it another way, rightfully pointing out how many of the objects represent collaborations with Stephen Jones, Roger Vivier, Swarovski (which developed the Aurora Borealis crystal for Mr Dior in 1956). ‘We are showing all the possibilities of the métiers d’art and craftsmanship technical virtuosity of the house of Dior.’

Incidentally, the exhibition includes an alcove where actual artisans will be stationed on a weekly basis to show off the savoir-faire before visitors’ eyes. That the show has debuted two days after Chiuri’s autumn/winter collection on Monday, is proof that the Dior story, for the first time filtered through a feminine voice, continues to play out beyond the museum walls in real time.

Gabet and Müller both pointed out that with this level of couture, the dresses didn’t simply slip onto the mannequins; they go through a meticulous process called mannequinage. ‘It’s a little industry by itself for the scale this show,’ said Gabet. Müller summed it up best: ‘You have to remember, he’s like a monument,’ she said. ‘You’ve entered into a legend.’

INFORMATION

‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ is on view until 7 January 2018. For more information, visit the Les Arts Décoratifs website

ADDRESS

Les Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris

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Everything Raf Simons touches turns cool. The Belgian-born fashion designer is a household name among interior designers and sneakerheads alike (not to mention the slim overlap of that sartorial Venn diagram), having collaborated and worked with brands like Adidas, Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein to create everything from footwear to haute couture.

Now, Simons, currently the chief creative officer of Calvin Klein, has just unveiled another collection – a line of textiles with Kvadrat. The set, which debuted earlier this week, marks Simons’ fourth collaboration with the European textile manufacturer.

Pointillism was source of creative stimulus for this collection. Taking cues from impressionist and post-impressionist masters such as Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and Vincent van Gogh, the designer plucked muted blues, yellows and pinks from the palettes of 19th century painters. Taking form as velour and mohair swaths, these colours were featured alongside Simons’ signature primary blues and reds, resulting in unexpected combinations.

'I was fascinated by how the colouration and weaving processes in fashion textiles don’t have the same limitations as those of furnishing textiles,' says Simons. 'Working with Kvadrat, we’ve been translating the subtle colouration and texture that you’d find perhaps in a tweed or bouclé into textiles suitable for use in furniture... with almost a painterly impact.'

For their global launch, Kvadrat upholstered Noguchi 'Freeform' sofas and ottomans, posing a stark contrast to their surrounding setting, inside the classical environs of the National Academy of Design in New York.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Kvadrat / Raf Simons website

Mood board: Calvin Klein’s A/W 2017 collection was Americana seen through the eyes of Raf Simons. For his first outing as Calvin Klein’s creative chief officer, Simons paraded his version of the very fabrics — literally and figuratively — that make up the United States: handcrafted Amish quilts, protective plastic coating, and denim that referenced everything from Wall Street power broker suiting to the classic cowboy uniform. Simons proved that he still has the magic touch; the men’s and women’s collections were innovative, wearable and well designed with Simons’ and creative director Pieter Mulier’s aesthetic sensibilities, all while maintaining the DNA of the Calvin Klein brand.

Scene setting: Simons tapped his longtime collaborator, the Los Angeles-based artist Sterling Ruby to conceive the set of his first Calvin Klein runway show, which was located at the label’s headquarters in New York’s Garment District. Flag, a bleached and dyed canvas artwork by Ruby is one of the artworks featured in the brand’s new campaign, and for the show the artist got free reign. Ruby dangled his signature flourishes — stuffed vertical forms covered with abstract prints, fringe streamers, and silver buckets, with the addition of fabric covered with Calvin Klein’s new logo, designed by Simons and art director and graphic designer Peter Saville, from the ground floor’s ceiling.

Best in show: A gold fur coat covered with a protective layer of plastic and tied at the waist with a rope belt was one of the show stealers. A skirt composed of an American flag was draped around the waist and teamed with a knee-length coat, with a black and white abstract print that resembled Ruby’s work. Parkas camed lined with logo cabin design patchwork quilts.

A touch of southern sensibility kicked off New York Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2017 in the cellar of The Beekman Hotel, as Billy Reid brought the famous Shindig festival he holds each summer in Florence, Alabama, to New York City. The designer’s A/W 2017 collection was every bit as much a portrait of his own life; his friends – like model Karen Elson and actor Alex Sharp – starred in the show, which was marked by the Beat inspiration he garnered from an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou. Quilted corduroy jackets, plaid sport coats and cashmere turtlenecks exuded the casual-cool vibe that makes up the brand’s DNA.

At Garciavelez, the artwork of Gordon Matta-Clark influenced the intersecting geometries of the collection’s pieces. A grid print on a nylon raincoat was juxtaposed against a custom embroidered hoodie. The grid reappeared on a pair of sweatpants, but with an overlapping floral print for an element of softness.

At Ovadia & Sons, twin brothers Ariel and Shimon Ovadia looked to their childhood in Israel as inspiration, placing Hebrew phrases on football shirts and menorah patches on bomber jackets. Patterns and fabrics were bold and varied; trousers were imagined in camouflage and velvet, and teamed with scissored leopard print knit scarves and silk jacquard coats.

That evening, N Hoolywood's Daisuke Obana applied the 'look' of homeless people across the United States to a series of heavy, layered garments, hanging knitwear scarves over puffer jackets and chunky sweaters.

The German fashion giant Boss presented its first men’s runway show in a decade at Skylight Modern. Chief brand officer Ingo Wilts had the modern traveller in mind, incorporating Boss’s suiting heritage from the 1980s and 90s. Wilts played with proportions, slimming the silhouettes for a more contemporary approach. Large ring zipper accents adorned shirting and knit turtlenecks. The collection’s outerwear was among its strengths; shearling embellished leather jackets and parkas had an artful bagginess to them, with large pockets on the back that could carry travel documents, or a newspaper.

Patrik Ervell also looked to the 90s for A/W 2017, with a collection inspired by the early rave scene. Turtlenecks, boxy jackets and straight-leg trousers were paired with the athletic Starter parkas that dominated United States during that decade. A wave of soft pink – on a parka, coat and vest – complemented the collection's darker tones.

Kenneth Ning fused technology with fashion through a live runway that was projected on to a giant screen. For the Gordon Gekko-inspired collection he used stock market numbers as the backdrop for a filmed fashion show, reimagining traditional tailoring with widened sleeves, and pairing a knee-length orange sweater over a white collared shirt.

Raf Simons’ New York debut took place that night at the Gagosian’s 21st Street location, his eponymous brand's first stateside outing ahead of his inaugural collection for Calvin Klein. The first look featured an exquisitely tailored, knee-length tuxedo coat, cinched at the waist with the words ‘Walk With Me’ in gaffer tape, and paved the way for a number of structured outerwear pieces.

Simons’ ode to New York, an oversized sweater with exaggerated sleeves and the Milton Glaser-inspired ‘NY’ initials, demonstrated the designer’s enthusiasm for his new home, despite America’s unsettling political climate. The rest of the knitwear was especially strong, referencing the designer's fascination with youth culture through slouchy striped sweaters with breast pocket accents. Utilitarian influences were also seen in the collection, in a long workwear-inspired shirt and trousers, a more masculine contrast to the fitted vests and beaded necklaces. If Simons’ first New York collection is any indication of what’s to come, then things are looking good.

Bode, the label by New York-based Emily Bode, created a Cape Cod-inspired home for the backdrop for its A/W 2017 presentation, decorated with vases of lilies and colourful checked pillows. Pyjama-style suiting, shirts and loose jackets were created using vintage fabrics, artfully quilted into checked and geometric constructions.

Willy Chavarria took on a political approach, looking towards Chicano fashion and the Black Power movement. The presentation began with the models enclosed in a chain link cage, a symbol of oppression, before they were let loose. The designer placed various messages – ‘Savour Kindness’ and ‘Capitalism is Heartless’ – in the collection, placing them among the baggy athletic apparel-inspired shirts.

Farther east, Orley, the label founded by Matthew, Alex and Samantha Orley, took its style cues from the late folk musician Nick Drake. Fine Italian wool and Loro Piana yarns were used in striped suiting and classic knit polos, a signature item for the line. The designers, who won the Swarovski Award for Menswear in 2016, placed unusual marbled, matte stones onto the shoulders and fronts of sweaters. They also reimagined the bomber, giving it more of a 70s feel.  

Back at Skylight Clarkson Square, General Idea’s Bumsuk Choi unveiled a crowd-pleasing collection – a burgundy bomber with a contrasting black turtleneck was a refreshing new riff on the shape, and eyelets, buttons and zippers made for interesting detailing. The oversized proportions were balanced without being too overbearing.

Then came the finale – veteran designer John Varvatos rented out the nightclub/theatre Diamond Horseshoe for a Wild at Heart–themed collection that involved the rebellious, rock-and-roll look of the brand. Leopard print was a dominant theme on motorcycle jackets, coats and blazers. Lacing detail finished off the skinny trousers. The silhouettes were slim and fitted, appropriate for a hip indie band on the road.

When Raf Simons designed a furniture range with Kvadrat, the fashion world pricked up its ears. Simons repurposed some of the textiles in his own collections, but up until now, the Danish textile manufacturer had kept a tight lid on the fabrics.

But in Kvadrat’s Paris showroom, German leather goods label Tsatsas was watching with fascination. The brand’s founders, architect Esther Schulze-Tsatsas and the industrial designer Dimitrios Tsatsas,
 had been presenting their accessory collections in the showroom for several seasons, and were drawn towards ‘the textiles’ structures and their world of colour’.

They decided to venture out of their comfort zone. Having so far worked solely with natural leathers, Tsatsas approached Kvadrat with the idea of using the furniture textiles for a bag – and with success. They recall being ‘overjoyed that Kvadrat and Raf Simons agreed to our becoming the very first bag label world-wide to work with the collection’.

The limited collection of five versions in editions of 50, titled 'So_Far', reworks Tsatsas’ iconic 'Fluke' bag into five new versions, that combine cowhide linings with the Raf Simons-designed Kvadrat textiles, that proved exceptionally suited as a material for bags. Usually, Tsatsas explains, ‘a sturdy surface such as leather is needed if you consider a bag not as some short-lived seasonal article, but a long-standing companion. The Kvadrat textiles meet all the standards of the furniture industry, such as extreme abrasion-resistance.'

Simons had time to develop these fabrics, as opposed to the fast pace at which fashion collections have to be designed.

Tsatsas also believes time to be the most important element to their creative work.

‘For us, Raf Simons is one of the most striking contemporary designers’, they add. ‘Even if our own work differs in shape, the respective approaches are similar: the focus is on innovation in the form, proportions and structure.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Tsatsas website

Some of the largest architecture projects in the world are taking shape in a ground-floor atelier tucked away in London’s King’s Cross. Thomas Heatherwick set up his studio in 1994 after studying at Manchester Polytechnic and the RCA, and over the years he gradually scaled up its output, creating everything from furniture and installations through to buses, bridges, art museums and whole city blocks. Heatherwick now works alongside around 200 designers, 130 of whom have architectural training. The studio output is focused on big buildings. These include one of the largest mixed-use projects in China, a key component of a vast US private development, a California office for a tech colossus, and a new bridge for London, all of which are at various stages of planning and construction.

Despite this mega-structural ambition, every Heatherwick project can be infinitely zoomed into, right down to the smallest design component. This combination of scale and detail comes out of an absolute commitment to process, something that becomes evident the minute you sit down with Heatherwick to talk about his work... Read the interview in full here

In 20 remarkable years we have come across, written about, examined and exhumed a lot of remarkable people. On the following pages are 20 of them. This, though, is not a simple ranking of power and influence. These are stories that resonate, with which we find common purpose and cause.

Here are people who have sometimes stuck bloody-mindedly to a course, sometimes pivoted, re-examined and pushed in new directions, who have defied expectations and even open derision. They have shown courage under fire and grace under pressure.

They have transformed – from girl group popette to one of the fashion industry's smartest operators, for instance – and, over the last 20 years, have had a transformative influence in their field. Here are architects who build with a sense of the immaterial, artists who want to talk to everyone, experimentalists and food engineers, fashion designers who defy fashion and bob and weave like prize fighters, tech titans who have changed the way we do almost everything. One reinvented the hotel industry, another presents it with an existential threat. There is also a man who wants to save the world – or take us all to Mars if that doesn't work out. Either way, we'll be along for the ride.

Victoria Beckham’s transformation from pop celebrity and tabloid icon to the force behind a covetable fashion line is an extraordinary one. Indeed, when the Spice Girls burst onto the cultural landscape in 1996, it would have seemed unlikely that 20 years later she would be presiding over a label now fêted for its sleek, restrained lines.

But to hear Victoria Beckham tell it, she didn’t have ‘any grand expectations’ when making the transition from music to fashion. ‘I was just focused on creating clothes that I felt proud of and passionate about,’ says Beckham of launching her eponymous line in 2008. ‘The fact that the brand has since taken off in the way it has has been very humbling.’

Now, the label boasts its own handsome flagship store on London’s Dover Street, counts Net-A-Porter, Liberty and Barneys among its many stockists, and recorded a turnover of £34m in 2014.

But the signals that Beckham had an affinity for design were there at the start. She was the stylish Spice Girl who stood out amid her flashier bandmates. As her and her husband David’s fame grew, they embraced their roles as fashion plates with a mutual fondness for Gucci and Versace... Read the interview in full here

The year Wallpaper* launched, a 28-year-old Jonathan Ive was appointed as Apple’s design director. ‘Our goal is figuring out how we can bring meaning to objects,’ he told us a year later. He ticked that box. ‘Think of Apple as a product company whose primary goal is to make the very best products we can,’ he told us back in 2010. But six years is a long time in technology, and services, software, apps and interaction arguably play a far greater role in how we use our devices today. The intuitive elegance that has marked Ive’s designs is now harder to achieve...

The year Wallpaper* launched, a 28-year-old Jonathan Ive was appointed as Apple’s design director. ‘Our goal is figuring out how we can bring meaning to objects,’ he told us a year later. He ticked that box. ‘Think of Apple as a product company whose primary goal is to make the very best products we can,’ he told us back in 2010. But six years is a long time in technology, and services, software, apps and interaction arguably play a far greater role in how we use our devices today. The intuitive elegance that has marked Ive’s designs is now harder to achieve.

Hard but not impossible. ‘Far from being mutually exclusive, technology and craft are not at odds,’ he says. Apple knows this like no other, and that’s largely down to Ive’s status as a titan of exceptional user design. ‘Much like beauty and utility,’ he says, ‘[technology and craft are] all the more powerful in combination.’ Ive and Apple are another such supercharged blend

Most people steal things from hotels. Few try to steal an entire hotel. But that’s what happened to Ian Schrager. Just weeks after he opened the Edition in Waikiki, the owner of the building turned up in the middle of the night, changed the locks on the front doors and told the staff they worked for him now, not Schrager’s company. The episode neatly, if rather dramatically, sums up the man who has transformed hotels.

Over the past 30 years, Schrager has reinvented hotels and then reinvented them some more, and each time he has done so, his rivals, big and small, have stolen his ideas wholesale. At Morgans, the Royalton, the Paramount and the Hudson in New York and, along the way, the Delano in Miami, the Clift in San Francisco, the Mondrian in LA, and St Martin’s Lane and the Sanderson in London, he created the boutique hotel. It got the name not because it was small, but because it was curated with a strong attitude and aesthetic, like a fashion boutique.

The key ingredients are the lobby scene, the go-to bar, the must-book restaurant for guests and locals alike, the signature scents, the hot staff with clothes more expensive than the guests’, the cool nightclub, the sense of an urban resort, the CD collection and the baffling taps in the bathrooms. There’s scarcely a hotel on the planet whose design or service has not borrowed some or all of these elements. ‘They pickpocket my ideas,’ Schrager says. ‘I still get annoyed by it, especially when I see things that we laboured and agonised over that have now become standard. The bed with the low headboard with the light behind, it’s everywhere...’ Read the interview in full here

Airbnb confounds for many reasons, though the most obvious one is that its success is based on a business model that ignores one of the first lessons we learn at our mother’s knee: don’t talk to strangers. We can only imagine what the first few investor meetings in 2008 must have been like.

And yet, fast forward nine years and the website – essentially a match-making service between home-owners and visitors looking for an alternative to hotel rooms – has already hosted 123 million nights. It’s also in the midst of seeking additional funding, valuing the company at $30bn – making it the second highest-valued start-up in the US behind Uber.

And like Uber, Airbnb has become a poster-child for the sharing economy, that nebulous but extremely valuable intersection between commerce and human connection. It has recast the idea of privacy, security and personal space. And all because Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky, two graduates from the Rhode Island School of Design, found a way to take the components of trust between people who had never met, and design for it. ‘We didn’t come up with anything new,’ says Gebbia, now chief product officer. ‘There were many websites like ours. Why did ours take off? Luck and timing played a part. The 2008 recession led people to consider new ways of earning supplemental income. But I believe the key difference was design...’ Read the interview in full here

Therme Vals was completed in 1996, the same year this magazine was founded. It was clearly a good year. Two decades on, Peter Zumthor’s genre-defining spa in the Swiss canton of Graubünden remains a place of pilgrimage for architecture enthusiasts the world over. And Zumthor is now one of the world’s most sought-after architects.

Zumthor is not your typical internationally-operating, Pritzker Prize-winning architect, even if there is such a thing. He has no offices in London, New York or Zurich, preferring instead to base himself in the tiny Swiss hamlet of Haldenstein, where he has lived and worked for more than 40 years. At his atelier, staff are not found glued to shiny Apple Macs but gathered around physical models of buildings – working prototypes lifted up on stilts to eye level – while beyond those models, breathtaking wraparound views stretch out across the Grisonian Rhine Valley. The practice is small, deliberately limited to around 30 people, making it a necessity to be very choosy about the projects it takes on. Which is what makes it really different.

Looking back over the last 20 years since Therme, the projects Zumthor has designed have been dictated not by commercial opportunity, but by where architecture can make a real difference to the human experience. Where architecture can bring joy, peace, insight or energy. You know you’re in a Zumthor building not because you notice any trademark shapes or materials, but because of how it makes you feel... Read the interview in full here

It is now the norm for fashion designers to dabble in other forms. Hedi Slimane, Rick Owens, Karl Lagerfeld and JW Anderson are all serious, serial dabblers. This is the age of the new polymath, the cross-disciplinary curator, the imperial taste-maker. But there is one designer who has gone much further; who, over the last 20 years, has relocated fashion, pulled it out of its self-referential loops and plugged it into a larger, more powerful network of ideas and influences.

Raf Simons originally trained in industrial and furniture design in Genk, Belgium – the country where he was born and raised and where his eponymous menswear line is based. After interning with Walter Van Beirendonck and then watching a Martin Margiela show in Paris, which Simons has described as nothing short of a revelation, he turned instead to fashion. He founded his own label in 1995.

That unconventional start explains Simons’ mould-breaking approach to designing clothing. ‘I always wanted to find other ways, explore other ways,’ he says. Focusing on menswear, Simons has subtly and insistently proposed new ways of dressing men. His radicalism has not only affected the way entire generations of men dress, but how generations of fashion designers create their clothes. The designs of youthful labels like Hood By Air or Off-White are tied up with ideas Simons has explored over the past 20 years... Read the interview in full here

Alessandro Michele’s Gucci is a harbinger of change in the fashion industry. In barely 18 months, his work has perceptibly moved goalposts and his impact is hard to overstate, certainly when it comes to recent fashion. Indeed, you’d have to dive back to the 1990s to find anything similar. Ironically, if you do so, you’ll find it was once again at Gucci that the status quo shifted, under the tenure of Tom Ford. Exactly 20 years apart, both used the Italian leather goods behemoth to ring in the changes, to provoke, challenge and ultimately seduce. Both have proved, within the space of mere seasons, to be the dominant fashion stories of their respective periods.

Michele and Ford’s visions for Gucci, on the surface, are polar opposites. Indeed, Michele’s obsession is with elaborating his surfaces, in homage to the Italiano eccentrico styles commonly associated with designers like Walter Albini, the interwar couturier Elsa Schiaparelli or the Milanese fashion editor Anna Piaggi. It stands in stark contrast to Ford’s midcentury modern-tinged minimalism, the sartorial equivalent of an Eames lounger, of lean tailoring and jersey evening dresses with insets of metal. Slick was the word most often used to describe Ford’s vision for Gucci, from the shiny polished catwalks of his biannual shows through to the glistening double-G insignias dripping from bags and belts. There’s nothing slick about what Michele does – it’s more sick, a mix of oddball references and strange proportions that have some beauty to them, to hamfistedly paraphrase Sir Francis Bacon... Read the interview in full here

Towering above his employees and most of his guests, with flowing locks and a beard as white as his linen trousers and moccasins, Brazilian mining magnate and modern-day Medici Bernardo Paz looks a little like God as he goes about his mission of building heaven on earth.

In Paz’s contemporary garden of Eden, Inhotim, every detail has been designed to reset the way visitors live their lives. The sprawling utopia, an hour from his home town of Belo Horizonte and designed as a perfect marriage of art, nature and architecture, is much more than a playground for an eccentric millionaire. It’s Paz’s gift to the world – a beautiful, peaceful place from a man whose name means peace. Mines, as the inhabitants of Paz’s home state of Minas Gerais know only too well, are a finite resource, and the Mineiros, as the locals are known, have seen their riches shipped off to the world for nearly two centuries – with all too little to show for it.

Paz has turned the concept of one-off extraction on its head, using the wealth accumulated from gouging iron ore from the mountains that surround Belo Horizonte to plant the seeds of a contemporary crop, one he believes will bear fruit ‘for a thousand years’. The profits – more than $250m – generated from shipping three million tonnes of iron ore a year to mills in Brazil and China, are ploughed into his dream.

‘I want to create a state of mind,’ he says. ‘The hardest thing is to change the way people see the world, but beauty changes people’s lives...’ Read the interview in full here

By the early 1990s, Kazuyo Sejima already had experience at Toyo Ito’s office, her own studio and a Young Architect of the Year award from the Japan Institute of Architects under her belt. But it was after setting up SANAA (with Ryue Nishizawa) in 1995 that her career really took off, upscaling to major cultural commissions which transformed her into an international go-to choice for mesmerisingly barely-there, ethereal architecture.

Her signature style of strong shapes and clean lines that at the same time appear flowing and delicate has helped define 21st-century Japanese architecture. It is all about the experience for Sejima, although priorities have shifted somewhat since her early days in practice. ‘Our designs are not driven by what you can do with architecture itself, but by an interest in the way people experience space as a relationship between programme, city and surrounding landscape,’ she says. ‘In the past, I would try to understand the overall character of a building’s environment and use this abstract idea to develop a design. Today, I try to create spaces that are more precisely adapted to the variable character of a neighbourhood...’ Read the interview in full here

There was a time when Japanese food meant exactly the same thing wherever you were, whatever the occasion and budget: sashimi, teppanyaki, sushi, teriyaki and tempura. In the 1990s, however, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa changed all that when he launched his deliriously inventive spin on classic Japanese tropes layered with nuanced South American influences, Peruvian specifically – yellowtail sashimi jalapeño and tempura eel, for instance.

From the start, a strong stylish streak has run through all of Matsuhisa’s projects. When the first Nobu opened in New York in 1994, he tapped David Rockwell for the interiors. ‘I explained to David the importance of the flow of the kitchen and the connection between the kitchen and the sushi bar. He understood both what I wanted and my style of cooking, and was able to translate my vision into a beautiful restaurant.’

It’s a formula that Matsuhisa has repeated over the years with great success. Within a few months of the first issue of Wallpaper*, he partnered with Robert De Niro, restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and Singaporean hotelier Christina Ong to open his first European outpost in London’s Metropolitan Hotel. Nobu London was the proverbial instant success. Every night, the deliberately austere dining room was mobbed by the city’s beau monde – every table swooning over the celebrated (and much imitated) black cod and miso. Within a year, it owned a Michelin star... Read the interview in full here

Illustration: Eoin Ryan

To paraphrase Sinatra, 1996 was a very good year. Wallpaper* was launched, Richard Geoffroy was promoted to chef de cave at Dom Pérignon and, very appropriately, that year produced an extraordinary vintage that, two decades on, is still talked about. ‘Normally, the great wines come from the fine sunny weather. It was the wind that year,’ Geoffroy explains. ‘It drove the dehydration of the grapes and concentrated the juices to produce something baffling, energised, constrained and infinitely youthful.’

On paper, Geoffroy’s credentials are impressive enough – born into a champagne-making family, he is a trained medical doctor and an influential oenologist. In person, he is articulate, smart, jovial, disciplined and passionate about the art of winemaking.

His extraordinary niceness makes it easy to overlook the fact that Geoffroy is an industry powerhouse. He says his relationship with Dom Pérignon is so intimate a line cannot be drawn. ‘We share the same sense of playfulness, completeness, complexity and serenity. Our fundamental core is one of harmony, which is expressed in the tension between winemaking and blending. But we are not flash or ego-driven...' Read the interview in full here

Co-founder of Google with Sergey Brin, CEO of Alphabet and the man behind Mountain View’s ongoing and relentless diversification into every single stratum of our tech-centric lives, Larry Page can lay claim to some serious data. Google is, of course, named for a number – a very big number – so it’s appropriate that any stats culled from the company’s day-to-day operations are suitably mind-boggling. Here are the facts and figures that prove Page will influence our intelligence for decades to come. The man behind the world’s biggest tech influencer conjures up serious stats. See them here...

It’s not a coincidence that, as Hussein Chalayan was presenting his first collections, the first issue of Wallpaper* was also taking shape in London. The designer has been vocal about the impact the magazine and the city had on him from the start. ‘For me, Wallpaper* was where all the different disciplines and facets of lifestyle merged,’ he says. ‘It was a publication that really gelled that together. My interests already included interiors and furniture, so I understood straight away its role in creating a synergy between fashion, interiors, food and travel. They were more isolated before, and I think the magazine is responsible for creating these bridges.’

London in those days ‘was about different creatives working together; there was a very distinct correlation between music and fashion’. Chalayan often collaborated with the singer Björk, who modelled in one of his early shows and famously wore a piece from the designer’s Airmail collection on the cover of her album, Post. ‘In terms of what inspired me, it was mostly music and cultural history...’ Read the interview in full here

Working with Ai Weiwei was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Partly because we had barely a year to make a major exhibition at the RA, but mainly because he’s a profound, uncompromising and heroic individual whose humanity and humour are never far away.

Outside his studio in Caochangdi – a kind of artists’ village in Beijing – the street is lined with surveillance cameras, each one festooned with a red Chinese lantern by Weiwei, the most gentle of subversions. A bike was chained to the lamppost outside the main door – and it had a fresh bunch of flowers in its basket every day until he got his passport back. For most of the time we were working together, it seemed unlikely he would be able to come to London. I went to Beijing five times over the year and every trip I’d ask whether there was any change in attitude from the Chinese authorities. ‘I always remain optimistic, but every time I think the police might return my passport I am disappointed. Perhaps I am naive,’ he told me.

I remembered his exhibition at the 2013 Venice Biennale, soon after his release from prison, where his mother had come instead. Would she, I wondered, be able to come to London if he were unable to travel. ‘She’s too frail now,’ he said. ‘How about your son?’ I asked. ‘I know he’s only six, but maybe he would like to come.’ ‘My son hates London,’ he told me, rather devastatingly. ‘When I was imprisoned I didn’t want him to know details, so he was told Daddy is in London...’ Read the interview in full here

When it comes to supporting the arts, few patrons have made as big a name for themselves as the Miami-based real-estate developer Jorge M Pérez. Founder of the Related Group, part of the property powerhouse behind ambitious urban development projects such as New York’s Hudson Yards, Pérez has not only played a huge part in shaping the modern Miami skyline, but also left his mark on its cultural landscape as well.

In 2013, Pérez’s name became a talking point during the relocation of the Miami Art Museum to a swanky, waterfront home designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Along with its expanded, $220m building, the museum also unveiled a new name: the Pérez Art Museum Miami, an acknowledgement of the $40m donation from the billionaire. Although the naming was unorthodox, PAMM (as it’s affectionately known), has evolved from a municipal-level arts institution to a respected fixture in the international arts scene. Shows have included Ai Weiwei, Julio Le Parc, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes and the New York-based Jamaican artist Nari Ward. Works donated by Pérez, largely by Latin American artists, are also on display... Read the interview in full here

In 1996, Elon Musk – and we realise how quaint this now sounds – did his first million dollar deal. The software company he started in 1995 with $28,000 of his father’s money picked up a $3 million investment and his remarkable career, from software to space via PayPal and sustainable propulsion, was off.

Along the way he has destroyed decades of received wisdom and borrowed business practices and, despite all that, his smartest rivals still think the world of him. As CCO of Aston Martin, Marek Reichman knows a thing or two about building beautiful, cutting-edge cars. It’s thanks to Musk, he says, ‘that our industry is now engaged in a radical rethink of how we create and deliver transportation’... Read the interview in full here

Illustration: Eoin Ryan

Rare now is the fashion brand that doesn’t do art in some way, does not sponsor, show, collaborate or co-mingle with artists and galleries. It can look like a crushing embrace. But one designer has been doing it for longer and with more sophistication and commitment than any other.

Miuccia Prada, who trained as a mime artist before joining the family operation, established the Fondazione Prada in 1993 and began collecting art; seriously and with serious intent. The Rem Koolhaas-designed New York Prada store, or Epicenter, which opened in 2001, was more gallery and performance space than glittering showcase for product. But Prada has been careful to compartmentalise the fashion brand and the Fondazione. It has its permanent curators, commissions as well as collects, and puts on museum-standard shows.

Last year, the Fondazione Prada campus, also designed by OMA, opened in Milan; twice the size of Renzo Piano’s new Whitney in New York and twice the fun. It has redefined what a private gallery can and should be. It’s an engaging new cultural hub for a city known more for commercial thrust and will be Prada’s real legacy... Read the interview in full here

Modesty almost forbids, but only almost. In fact, space doesn’t allow a complete list of our many advances and upshifts, our constant refinements and occasional reinventions over the last 20 years. Here’s just a few to be going on with: establishing the Handmade exhibition as the showcase of contemporary craft and design; creating the perfect pocket-sized travel guide; civilising e-commerce with the W* Store; curating a long-running series of artist-designed covers and back-page artist’s recipes; the encouragement and advancement of wave after wave of young designers and architects; and, of course, smuggling more dubious double entendres onto our covers than any magazine ever.

It is now the norm for fashion designers to dabble in other forms. Hedi Slimane, Rick Owens, Karl Lagerfeld and JW Anderson are all serious, serial dabblers. This is the age of the new polymath, the cross-disciplinary curator, the imperial taste-maker. But there is one designer who has gone much further; who, over the last 20 years, has relocated fashion, pulled it out of its self-referential loops and plugged it into a larger, more powerful network of ideas and influences.

Raf Simons originally trained in industrial and furniture design in Genk, Belgium, the country where he was born and raised and where his eponymous menswear line is based. After interning with Walter Van Beirendonck and then watching a Martin Margiela show in Paris, which Simons has described as nothing short of a revelation, he turned instead to fashion. He founded his own label in 1995.

That unconventional start explains Simons’ mould-breaking approach to designing clothing. ‘I always wanted to find other ways, explore other ways,’ he says. Focusing on menswear, Simons has subtly and insistently proposed new ways of dressing men. His radicalism has not only affected the way entire generations of men dress, but how generations of fashion designers create their clothes. The designs of youthful labels like Hood By Air or Off-White are tied up with ideas Simons has explored over the past 20 years. 

Simons makes clothes meaningful because he understands when they are most meaningful to us. He summons up youthful experimentation and tribal allegiances, referencing the pinched-in shape of ill-fitting school blazers in slender suiting or the raiments of teenage dissent in torn and sloganed clothes that paid homage to counter-culture and band iconography. Simons has designed collections in homage to Kraftwerk, in collaboration with Peter Saville referencing his Joy Division and New Order album sleeves, and devoted one to Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers.

Those references hint at the wider context in which Simons instinctively places his clothes. ‘I always like to do other things,’ Simons says. ‘Curating things, things that people didn’t know but things other than the collection, then going back.’ Returning to his collections after a creative excursion, Simons finds a form of renewal. He continues to explore other avenues: he designs a furnishing range with the Danish textile company Kvadrat (he has even used its fabrics for tailoring in his collections), has published books, curated exhibitions and edited an issue of i-D magazine.

Simons needs that renewal. He is one of the busiest designers working in modern fashion. From 2006, Simons has created womenswear: first under the Jil Sander label in Milan (alongside menswear), then between 2012 and the autumn of 2015, for Christian Dior in Paris. As of August this year, he is responsible for the clothes for men and women at Calvin Klein, a £6.1 billion juggernaut which may prove Simons’ biggest challenge to date. He will show his first designs for the brand in 2017.

The deftness with which Simons cross-fertilised his inspirations was evident at both Sander and Dior: a collection at the former featured designs inspired by Picasso ceramics (Simons has a fine collection at his apartment in Paris). For his Dior haute couture debut in July 2012, Simons translated the work of Californian contemporary artist Sterling Ruby into a strapless cocktail dress, painstakingly reproducing the artist’s spray-painted imagery with an intricate warp-dying technique that’s known as chiné à la branche. The piece was the precursor to a full-blown collaboration with Ruby for Simons’ A/W 2014 collection; for S/S 2017, meanwhile, he worked with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, using more than 100 of the artist’s images on an entire collection of clothing. 

The unveiling of Simons’ Mapplethorpe collaboration in Florence this June took place alongside a 20-year retrospective of the designer’s clothes on static mannequins, an experience more akin to a gallery opening, or even a performance piece. Which is, of course, precisely the point. ‘What I felt always in fashion is how the environment of fashion likes to put a stamp on you,’ says Simons. The defining act of Raf Simons’ two decades of design is his steadfast refusal to ever play by the rules. Simons doesn’t even break them. He simply makes his own.

Raf Simons is one of our 20 Game-Changers. Read about the other 19 here

As originally featured in the October 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*211)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Raf Simons website

Critics who've forgone the Florentine trade show Pitti Immagine Uomo in recent seasons were clamouring for invitations for S/S 2017. Having recently been held back by schedule clashes following the ascent of London Collections: Men, the fair was back on form with its best line up in years.

The guest designers were two of menswear’s buzziest names; the new kid on the block, Russia-born Gosha Rubchinskiy, and the original innovator, Raf Simons. If one were searching for a uniting theme across proceedings it turned out to be the relationship between old and new.

That’s something that’s already central to Simons’ work. For his show, he looked back both at his own archive – filling Florence’s Stazione Leopolda with hundreds of vintage mannequins sporting highlights from his archive – and the photography of the late great Robert Mapplethorpe. The show, a collaboration with the Mapplethorpe Foundation, was a tribute to the artist’s life and work – his images of flowers, nudes and muses decorated the pieces, while models looked like mini Roberts with their black leather separates and caps.

If the clothes were a tribute to a great artist, the set up was more of a Simons retrospective – fitting given that just over 10 years ago, in 2005, the designer held his 10th anniversary show at the fair. It was hard not keep in mind the rumours that Simons will shortly be heading to Calvin Klein and consider this a watershed moment and turning point for his eponymous brand.

Rubchinskiy is also obsessed with old and new; with the history of his native country, the highlights of style culture and the aesthetics of those young boys around him (many of who walked in the show following a casting call on Instagram). He paid tribute to Italy’s sportswear heritage through collaborations with Italian brands such as Fila, Kappa and Sergio Tacchini. They’ll fly off the shelves. The designer also used the opportunity to debut a Pasolini-inspired film and new limited edition book of his photography, both titled The Day of My Death, hammering home his multifaceted approach to the creative process.

Also showing were Japanese label Visvim, who presented their first ever proper runway show. They used the opportunity to focus on spectacle rather than clothing, offering a show full of ‘Instagramable moments’ for the fashion pack – see the retro dancers, flags and vintage motorbikes. Fausto Puglisi has enough spectacle in his clothes themselves – he used the occasion to debut a menswear offer full of Anicent Greek inspired emblems, heavy prints, slogans and embellishments. He described it as ‘fearless’ – the wearer would definitely have guts.

Elsewhere, in keeping with the notion of past and present, Gucci unveiled fresh additions from the Tom Ford-era into their museum, while Karl Lagerfeld, a man who’s usually always looking forward, offered a retrospective of some of his recent fashion images in the imposing setting of the Palazzo Pitti.

INFORMATION
Pitti Immagine Uomo ran from 13 - 17 June 2016. For more information, visit the Pitti Immagine Uomo website

Mood board: This collection marks the 20th anniversary of Raf Simons’ namesake menswear brand as well as his first post-Dior show. A list of references given out at the show went on to reinforce everything we already covet about Simons’ well-established oeuvre. At the top were four names including the designer Martin Margiela - whose influence could be seen in the exaggerated proportions of varsity jumpers and coats – and the artist Cindy Sherman. Sherman’s major European retrospective, Untitled Horrors clearly influenced the prevailing twisted American teen in a scary movie charisma brought to this season’s clothes.

Scene setting: The show took place within a wooden maze structure. The audience stood jostling against each other so as to maintain the narrow runway that was marked by only a thick black line on the floor. The show began with the voice of American composer Angelo Badalamenti talking about his longstanding collaborative process with David Lynch. In particular, he spoke about the music he designed for Lynch’s cult TV series Twin Peaks, which Simons later said was the soundtrack to his own creative maturation as a student in the early 1990s.

Best in show: Oversized, distressed jumper sleeves in a range of colours from Flemish blue to American red, jutted out from underneath neat, half-sleeve trench coats. However, it was a glorious selection of enormous, gleaming puffer jackets in aubergine, off-black and two-tone blue that became increasingly appealing as temperatures fell below freezing in Paris.

INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Mood board: Guests to the Christian Dior show had to pass through a giant hill of blue delphiniums constructed in the centre of the Carre du Louvre in Paris before entering a pristine all-white box. Artistic director Raf Simons connected the dots for his collection and that mammoth mountain by stating that ‘just as in nature, I wanted to find a new kind of precision, purity and ease.’ His clothes looked decisively more precise than organic, and yet there was something of the outdoors in his sheer looks and voile-like dresses that took their cues from Victorian style underwear. More than anything, though, the show felt futuristic and cleaned up of excess in the Simons way.

Best in show: Without a doubt, Simons has a hit on his hands with the new exaggeratedly cropped sweaters that he showed layered over gauzy dresses. Less commercial but no less impactful were the sporty-like canvas anoraks covered in couture-like furry white embroideries. We also ogled a dynamite red and navy broad striped coat dress.

Finishing touches: The shoe this season is as pointed as any witch-wear but offered in modernist shiny patent leather.  Either flat as paper or launched up onto thick heels, both shoes came with contrasting coloured, thick patent leather straps that wrap around the ankle.

INFORMATION

Photography: Umberto Fratini; Jason Lloyd-Evans

Prada: Miuccia Prada’s alluring S/S 2016 invitation comprised a trio of acetate sheets that created a lens effect when moved over each other. Ensuring their safe arrival was a black plastic envelope with a press effect

Dior Homme: M/M (Paris) quoted Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung – ‘in all disorder a secret order’ – on its illustrated poster-sized invitation

Paul Smith: Sir Paul Smith championed an ‘independent mind’ for S/S, with this mantra adorning a luxurious, black cashmere handkerchief

Yohji Yamamoto: The designer set the tone for his Paris show with a brown paper bag invitation. On one side, a sketch of a near-naked man clad in hot pants declared ‘I’m for rent’, with show details on the reverse

Louis Vuitton: Louis Vuitton delivered its spring/summer show details on a grey mountboard, debossed with its signature monogram pattern, and names elegantly scribed overleaf in navy blue ink. Kim Jones also enclosd a second invitation – letter-pressed with a blue rope motif and edged in blue - that summoned us to Paris boutique Colette to view the house’s A/W 2015  collection drop in store

Saint Laurent: The work of American artist and sculptor Billy Al Bengston was the latest to grace the next edition in Hedi Slimane’s sleek series of booklet invitations. The 81-year-old artist - best known for his soft-focus, geometric paintings and association with surfing subculture - offered up the perfect visual prelude to Slimane’s southern Californian soujourn

Wooyoungmi: Woo Youngmi and Katie Chung joined a number of designers looking upwards to the final frontier for inspiration this season. Their invitation, printed on textured card, depicted the moon in different phases

Kenzo: A mirror-effect duplex mountboard alluded to Carol Lim and Humberto Leon’s interplanetary space race. Housed in a taupe envelope with the house’s name printed in a pleasing, mint-green foil, the invitation was our one-way ticket to the cosmos. We have lift-off!

Alexander McQueen: The prologue to Alexander McQueen's S/S 2016 show was the vintage, black-and-white portrait of a tattooed man on the front of each invitation – later referenced on the runway through silk scarves in a tattoo print and complimenting cuffs. Printed on textured card with a UV-varnish, the invitation arrived in a ghostly tissue paper envelope

Coach: Stuart Vevers opted for a heavy, mountboard invitation, edged in purple, to announce his debut LC:M show. An abstract graphic – clouds billowing over a rocky texture – hinted at the psychedelic medley of textures and hues that were to come

Oliver Spencer: The London menswear brand has us seeing shapes – shapes drawn from the oeuvre of American minimalist sculptor Richard Serra to be precise. Its invitation riffed on Serra’s large-scale sheet metal works, featuring a medley of red, interlocking circles and triangles on off-white card

Richard James: Heralding the Savile Row tailor’s trek to Las Pozas – the pseudo 'ancient ruin' created by eccentric English poet and surrealist Edward James – was a triplex card, illustrating the silhouette of one of Las Pozas’ concrete structures emerging from the rainforest

Junya Watanabe Man: The Japanese designer’s theme this season was ‘Faraway’ – more specifically Africa. To wit, a poster invitation transported us there pre-show through an image featuring a figure standing tall over the lush, exotic landscape

Raf Simons: Mr Simons’ simply elegant invitation – a subtle, white card with names handwritten and the show details printed overleaf – gave nothing away. Who would have guessed he had a blitzing techno-rave in store for us this season?

Issey Miyake: This season, Issey Miyake’s menswear designer Yusuke Takahashi was enamored by photographer Yoshinori Mizutani’s series Tokyo Parrots. Alluding to the collection's theme of urban nature, the invitation featured one of Mizutani’s vibrant images

From the grandiosely impressive decors to quirky invitations, it's now a given that each meticulous detail of the seasonal show pilgrimage is carefully crafted to be entirely out-of-the-box. And the accompanying soundscape to this spring's men's season posed no exception.

Enchanting live performances (see Rhodes at Burberry Prorsum) and intoxicating DJ sets melodiously accompanied the S/S 2016 men's catwalk collections turning them into event spectaculars rather than just shows.

Jumping genres and eras we enjoyed Marylin Monroe's 'Boop Boop De Boop' at Dries Van Noten as much as Nile Rodgers' exclusive remix for Louis Vuitton's World Clique show. 'Nile is a hero of mine,' explained Louis Vuitton's Kim Jones. 'And he was perfect to work with this season as he is somebody that has crossed all boundaries with the many different artists he has collaborated with the world over,' he added of Chic's lead guitarist. 'Taking those global influences, mixing them together and making a new sound – Nile’s music is a metaphor for the collection.'

Louis Vuitton
'Chic Cheer' by Chic; 'Why' by Carly Simon; 'Like A Virgin' by Madonna
Music production: Niles Rodgers

Burberry Prorsum
‘Vienna’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Close Your Eyes’ and ‘I Put A Spell On You’ performed live by Rhodes, accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra conducted by Joe Duddell

Calvin Klein Collection
‘Born Slippy’ by Underworld; ‘Tormentor’ by Skinny Puppy; ‘Nobody Knows’ by Nitzer Ebb; ‘N.W.O’ by Ministry (Repeated); ‘Slippy’ (Vocal part) by Underworld

Diesel Black Gold
‘Leaving Forever’ by Junto Club; ‘Watch your Back’ by Body of Light; 'Dirt + Hamburg' by Oil Thief; 'Still/ Current - Orange (texture)' by Mukul; ‘Leaving Forever’ by Junto Club

Dries Van Noten
‘Love Me Tender’ by Elvis Presley; ‘Pretty Vacant’ by Sex Pistols; ‘L’amour’ by Salvador Dali; ‘Dialogues’ by Marylin Monroe (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like It Hot…); ‘This Is Not A Love Song’ by Public Image Ltd; ‘Pretty Vacant’ by Sex Pistols; ‘I Wanna Be Loved By You’ by Marylin Monroe

Paul Smith
Congo Dick Dale; ‘Sweet Gene Vincent’ by Ian Dury; ‘Set Phazers To Stun’ by The Time And Space Machine; ‘New Kind Of Kick’ by The Cramps; ‘You Really Got Me’ by The Kinks; ‘Pretty Thing’ by  Bo Diddley; ‘I Want Candy’ by  Bow Wow Wow; ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes; ‘The Hardest Button To Button’ by The White Stripes; ‘Live Like An Animal’ by The Slaves; ‘Cavern Liquid’ by Liquid; ‘Badder Than The Rest’ by Beenie Man; ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ by The Sonics; ‘Tight Pants’ by Iggy Pop; ‘Day Tripper’ by  Shockabilly; ‘Voodoo Child’ by  Jimi Hendrix; ‘Master Of The Universe’ by Hawkweed; ‘Misty Mountain’ by The Silver Apples; ‘The Union Forever’ by The White Stripes; ‘Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt’ by Palais Schaumburg; ‘Sweet Like Candy’ by Winston Williams; ‘Johnny’ by Suicide; ‘Domino’ by The Cramps; ‘Young Ones’ by Formation

Raf Simons
‘Raised’ by IVVVO; ‘Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore’ by Mark Leckey; ‘The Realm (Acapella)’ by C'hantal; ‘Jupiter Acid (Skudge White)’ by Mono Junk

Rick Owens
Exclusive mix of Kat!e by Carnage (ft. Katie Got Bandz)

Sacai
‘Dance (Beats Mix)’ by Earth People; ‘Release Yourself (Dub Mix)’ by Aleem; ‘Tell You (Original 12 inch Instrumental)’ by Loose Joints; ‘Notice Me (Notice The House Mix)’ by Sandee; ‘Show Me Love (Acapella)’ by Robin S Happy; ‘Stick’ by Steve Pointdexter; ‘Stars’ by Carl Graig; ‘Are You Experienced’ - Jimi Hendrix; ‘Jack Your Body’ by Steve Hurley; ‘I feel love (Acapella)’ by Donna Summer; ‘Additional Beats And Sounds’ by Senjan Jansen

Versace
‘Ouverture’ by Maurice Jarre; ‘Oriented’ by Rikslyd; ‘The Curse’ and ‘Beat On The Drums’ by Craig Bratley; ‘Arabian Dance’ by Antares; ‘Let’s All Chant’ by Michael Zager Band

Scene setting: As if the runway show was merely a precursor to an illegal warehouse party on the outskirts of Paris, Raf Simons' set designers once again erected towers of scaffolding that criss-crossed around the cavernous hall, lit by industrial sized spotlights covered with red gels. Sure enough, hard techno began pounding and Simons' models stomped down the long runway as if they were too rushing to that imaginary rave.

Best in show: Raf Simons' wide selection of rain macs and maxi-chain rucksacks stole his spring show. Peering through the dark, it looked like the models were adorned with giant bike chains, which, on closer inspection, were indeed over-sized, oval-shaped links that had been laminated with plastic or coated in leather. Speaking of the finer details, multi-layered, clashing plaid prints peeped out from the upturned under-collars of coats, while maxi-pinstripe suits and wool-mix shorts were finished with cargo-style pockets on each thigh. It was as if city-boy casual had been put through an art gallerist's lens.

Finishing touches: Attached to rucksacks, the chains draped over the boys' shoulders and swung down to the knees. They looked heavy enough to be classed as weapons - but hung over Simons' over-proportioned macs (collars always turned up and high), themselves appearing as tents over the shrunken trousers and scuffed Stan Smiths, the entire look felt like art.

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Out-of-this-world architecture once again united with high fashion for Dior's 2016 Cruise collection, set within the bulbous terracotta surrounds of Pierre Cardin's holiday home 'Palais Bulles'.

Perched above the Bay of Cannes, the awe-inspiring abode was designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and constructed between 1975 and 1989. The Cote d'Azur property was bought by Cardin in 1992 and provided an epic encore to last week's Louis Vuitton show at Bob Hope's Palm Springs casa.

The 12,900 sq foot residence, which includes 26 interconnected pods (inspired by Inuit dwellings), offered a compelling utopian setting for Raf Simons' resort vision for Dior. 'In many ways it is a form of architecture you cannot connect to another,' he said of Bubble Palace. 'It is more human than rational; individual and playful. It is a place that I have been fascinated by for a number of years.' Simons first learned of the site when he was studying industrial design, while its location also neatly ties in with Dior's long affiliation with the area - Monsieur Dior's home stands in the South of France village of Montauroux.

Not surprisingly, the event's architectural focus extended right onto the show's snaking runway, which saw Cardin seated in the front row. (The iconic designer worked besides Christian Dior from 1946 as his head of tailoring.)

Opening with clashing checks (cue silk gingham shorts and Lurex kilts), the trans-seasonal collection mixed high-tech fabrics with resort classics like knitted tennis dresses and sailor's shorts. Inspired by the Mediterranean landscape's hues and textures, 'Collection Crosière' saw homespun textiles united with a burnt colour palette and a sporty playfullness. Silhouettes were abbreviated to mid-thigh length - even on new, deck-worthy Bar suits -  and were teamed back with leather flip-flops or less beachy, pointed ankle booties. The knitted 'swimsuits' and mismatched earrings were also no doubt destined for more action than the boardwalk.

Last season creative director Raf Simons relocated Dior's spring show to Louis Vuitton's former Musée du Louvre home with the help of production kings Bureau Betak, and for A/W they've returned with a new, purpose-built glass box.

Inside the super tent's graphic interiors, Simons' tonally picked up where his January haute couture show left off - the pastel pink (a signature house hue) carpet replaced by buffed flooring for ready-to-wear. Thick, black pillars created a jumbled blocky effect, connecting the co-ordinating pink ceiling with the smooth ground, as white benches lay in swirling configurations like fallen friends. Huge glass windows offered a clear vista of the location's money-can't-buy sandstone façade, a stone's throw from the Tuileries.

'I wanted the collection to deal with nature and femininity in a different way,' explained Simons. 'Away from the garden and the flower, to something more liberated, darker and more sexual.' Winter's set reinforced this message with its sweet colouring and bold, graphic composition. And just like Simons' abstracted animal print, it roared quietly, just as things should at Dior.

Scene setting: Showing in a cavernous warehouse outside the Paris postcodes was enough to dissuade the attendance of a few haughty editors, but when Raf Simons stepped up the 'standing-only' policy of his S/S 2015 show this season by elevating his catwalk, his egalitarian grunge message was clear.

Mood board: The invitation read 'To The Archives, No Longer Relevant', a poetic statement that crystallised along the tattered hemlines of Raf's long-line trench coats and scribbled graffiti jackets. A gamut of tailoring textiles (twills, checks, tweeds) were cut as extended tank top gilets, layered with trailing knit scarves and a ribbed flare pants.

Finishing touches: The girls have been turning to Simons' menswear for years, so it felt coherent and fresh to see his Dior favourites like Hanne Gaby Odiele and Kinga Rajak mingled in with the boys on the runway. They rocked the same patent coats, distressed knits and Stan Smiths with equal punk nonchalance.

Stepping up the trend for fashion houses to show their pre-collections in increasingly exotic locations and with exceptionally extravagant presentations, Dior creative director Raf Simons transported us to the ‘megalopolis’ that is Tokyo for his pre-fall 2015 show.

‘Tokyo is a place that has been and is so constantly inspiring to me,’ he explained. ‘Particularly in terms of the liberty people take for themselves in how they dress, there is nowhere else like it; the freedom of styles, the new architecture of clothing that you can see forming in the street as well as in city’s fashion design history... it’s a place that is both extreme and exhilarating.’

On his intergalactic runway, Simons’ focus was a futuristic fusion of East meets West, where fantasy and reality co-existed. English woollen plaids and Fair Isle knits juxtaposed kawaii-inspired micro Miss Dior bags and eclectic layering that referenced Tokyo's street style as much as its forward-thinking architecture. A study in contrasts, day met evening, high shine, matt surfaces; defining Simons new ‘utilitarian glamour’. His opening look, a neon yellow collared, camel-coloured, laminated coat concealed a glittering sequin skivvy as a case in point.

Dior took over the sprawling city’s iconic sumo stadium creating an abstracted urban landscape that was touched by falling snowflakes throughout the show – highlighting the collection’s outerwear oeuvre. Fusing fantasy with sci-fi, the soundscape mixed tunes from Blade Runner and Interstellar’s soundtracks – referencing Simons’ initial other-worldly impressions of Tokyo, which he first visited in the mid 1990s. Produced by Bureau Betak, the set’s arena-style construction alone took four days of non-stop tooling to bring the designer’s glittering Tokyo megalopolis to life.

Ermenegildo Zegna Couture: Hollow, geometric blocks created a thought-provoking backdrop for Stefano Pilati's heavily industrial show interior, conceived to reflect the designer's take on architecture and space. American lighting designer AJ Weissbard then cemented the scene's raw feel by adding a misty, sullen lighting set-up that further enhanced the season's graphic, linear silhouettes and muted colour combinations

Moncler Gamme Bleu: Designer Thom Browne staged the next instalment of his legendary sporting events for Moncler Gamme Bleu within Milan's Palazzo del Senato. For S/S, it took the form of a boxing match. Dressed in patriotic brand colours, the sparring ring delivered a knockout fashion fight if ever there was one

Dior Homme: All eyes were initially on the floor at Dior Homme's Tennis Club de Paris presentation, where colour-blocked horizontal and vertical lines met at the runway's central cross-junction. Bold primary strips interjected the floor's sandy wooden boards, reflecting the bold stripes and hyper-hued scribbles that were drawn across Kris Van Assche's S/S collection

Brioni: For S/S 2015 we watched Brendan Mullane's Los Angeles inspiration come to life in grand cinematic form. The surrounding walls of his presentation space screened films by American artist Collier Schorr, depicting scenes from the Brioni man's LA life. As a direct reflection of this image, the show's models stood on black podium structures, replicating open-plan Californian homes, looking out across the twinkling city skyline

Cerruti 1881: Lighting aficionado Thierry Dreyfus once again set the scene for Aldo Maria Camillo's menswear show. Flashing stadium-style spotlights highlighted the venue's patch-worked wooden flooring, creating a warm glow over the simple setting

Dsquared2: The Caten twins took us to the inception of their creative process for S/S 2015, setting their show within a working artist's studio. The space's theatrically hazy skylights, aged walls and half completed paintings offered the perfect canvas for their Pop art inspired collection

Dunhill: The sophisticated surrounds of John Ray's salon style S/S 2015 presentation at One Horse Guards in London allowed the Dunhill man to feel right at home. French doors flooded the space with natural sunlight, which bounced off the venue's white surrounds - from ecru ottomans to bleached wooden floorboards

Salvatore Ferragamo: A simple, rectangular blonde wood catwalk framed Ferragamo's spot-lit show space in Milan. Similar basic benches were installed for the audience, while the setting was backed by an installation of hanging wooden beams, saturated in glowing blue light

Paul Smith: This season Sir Paul returned to Paris' Bourse de Commerce to present his bohemia tinged S/S 2015 offering. Under the building's classic domed ceiling, Smith's boys were surrounded by a terracotta-potted garden of succulents and cacti that also showed up in his prints

Gucci: Frida Giannini extended a little feminine subtlety to her creamy S/S 2015 setting in the house's traditional Milanese location, directing the focus towards the show's watery digital backdrop. The predominately beige seating was also perfectly matched with the polished ecru flooring

Maison Martin Margiela: The stark grey wood and metal features of Paris' Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University provided an aptly institutional backdrop for the house's schoolboy-inspired collection

Philipp Plein: This German designer's summer pool party at via Carlo Botta was a far cry from the backyard gathering that its name usually implies. Sharks were cast as mega mascots with Plein's PP monogram proudly inscribed between the toothy critters, before all matter of water sports began. Cue synchronised swimmers and suited jet skiers thrashing through this adult water park

Kris Van Assche: The Belgium designer explored the idea of a never-ending runway for this season's set up at the Halle Freyssinet. Referencing the show's title 'Illusion', the basic surroundings of the warehouse space were heightened by an artwork at the end of the runway, featuring continuous opening doors that the models started and ended their walk through

Raf Simons: Lighting took centre stage a Raf Simons' S/S Espace Vendome show space, which was otherwise left raw and unembellished - an aesthetic that was accentuated by the omission of seating. Spotlights cast a moody red and green glow over the scene, including the standing audience, as the models weaved their way through them

Prada: The outdoors were brought inside at this season's AMO-designed Prada show space, with Mrs Prada's boys circling a striking cobalt blue pool. Surrounded by a contrasting suede brown seating gradient, the collection was poetically reflected in the azure-hued water

Versace: Donatella Versace strung up everything but the kitchen sink on the arches of her S/S 2015 men's runway in the house's Via Gesù HQ. The church-like set offered up the full weight of the brand's homewares collection. Versace bed sheets draped the walls, which were then covered in all manner of Medusa-logoed chairs, cushions, plates and lamps - no doubt an offering to the Gods of living large

Kenzo: Paris' ornate Pont Alexandre III offered a fitting backdrop to Kenzo's S/S 2015 show, which embraced the city's key icons both as a show venue and later seen through the collection's Tour Eiffel patchworks

Kenzo: With the help of Villa Eugenie, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim walked their colourful collection over the historically elaborate landmark, while the audience sat out of the rain on blocky, pale green benches

Wooyoungmi: The South Korean brand's newly appointed co-creative director Katie Chung presented an eerie, sci-fi inspired centrepiece for S/S 2015. In the show's closing sequence, draped transparencies separated the audience from the clothes, which were mystically lit by Eyesight Productions, offering a moody finale to the presentation

Y-3: A world away from last season's cleanly graphic setting, we hit the waves at Yohji Yamamoto's summer surf shack. The Couvent des Cordeliers venue's 'wooden lodge' was plastered with paint and posters decrying 'surf now, apocalypse later'

Saint Laurent: Hedi Slimane likes a light show and this season's cube-shaped, concert-style light installation doubled as a fiery runway backdrop. Gleaming and flashing in alternate increments, the set illuminated the tiled, cubic catwalk within the Marais' Carreau du Temple

Fashion week, nowadays, is about much more than just the collections. Showmanship is the name of the game, and in the meticulously executed sartorial extravaganzas, the sound space is an element that no producer or designer can afford to overlook. Music royalty - past, present and future - is enlisted to ensure a full assault on the senses. Here, we bring you Paris Fashion Week's catwalk mega-mix from the S/S 2015 menswear collections.

WEDNESDAY 25/06

Valentino
'L'eau à la Bouche' by Serge Gainsbourg; 'Le Serpent' by Geum; 'I Giardini Di Kensington' by Patty Pravo; 'All Under One Roof Raving' by Jamie XX

Raf Simons
From the soundtrack of 'Under The Skin' by Mica Levi
Music production: Michel Gaubert

THURSDAY 26/06

Louis Vuitton
'Hounds of Love' by Kate Bush
Music production: Honey Dijon

Dries Van Noten
'First Movement' from Rosas danst Rosa ballet
Music production: Thierry de Mey

FRIDAY 27/06

Junya Watanabe
'The Bead Game' by Joe Henderson

Kris Van Assche
'Being Boiled' by The Human League; 'Patient Zero' by Radiohead; 'Theme From Great Cities' by Simple Minds; 'Love Action (I Believe In Love)' by The Human League; 'Collapsing New People' by Fad Gadget; 'Master And Servant' by Depeche Mode; 'Only After Dark' by The Human League; 'Thoughtcrime' by Rodhad

Cerruti 1881
'Motherfuckin' Deer Bit Me (with Shaun Partridge)' by Boyd Rice; 'Drinking in LA' by Van Bran 3000; 'Behaviour' by Pet Shop Boys & The KLF; 'Gary in the Tardis' by The Timelords; 'Elvis On the Radio, Steel Guitar in my Soul' by The KLF; 'Strip it down' by ENO & HYDE; 'Chill out (Wolf in The Jungle Remix)' by The KLF; 'What Time is Love?' by The KLF
Music production: Frédéric Sanchez

Comme des Garçons
'Toreador Del Amor' by Tuxedomoon; 'Triumphant Procession' by Tuxedomoon; 'Merci Stephane' by Ghedalia Tazartes; 'Part II' by Ghedalia Tazartes; 'Zil Veli' by Ghedalia Tazartes & Jacques Berrocal; 'Lachrimae Antiquae' by John Dowland; 'Tazarama' by Ghedalia Tazartes

Givenchy
 'Elegant Stomp' by The Martinez Brothers feat. Kissey; 'Deep Breaths' by The Martinez Brothers feat Kissey; 'Untitled (finale)' by The Martinez Brothers.
Music production: The Martinez Brothers

SATURDAY 28/06

Dior Homme
'Natures Makes Mistakes (K7 version)' by Son Of Sam; 'CTI - Mary' remixed by Michel Gaubert

Hermès
'With Me' by Cashmere Cat; 'Exercise #5 (September)' by CFCF; 'Lude Pre (Red Hot + Bach)' by Francesco Tristano & Carl Craig; 'Unsung Deaf Hero' by Time Paris; 'Devils' by Say Hi

SUNDAY 29/06

Paul Smith
'Marquee Moon' by Television; 'Friction' by Television; 'Folly Of Youth' by Pere Ubu; 'Untitled Instrumental' by Television; 'Coming Apart' by Tom Verlaine; 'Venus' by Television
Music production: Andrew Hale & Peter Smith

Saint Laurent
'Bright Blue Day Haze' by Mystic Braves
Music production: Mystic Braves

Dior Homme: Kris Van Assche's latest collection for Dior Homme merged the businessman with the bohemian artist. To that end, Anthony Turner kept hair groomed, and softly set in place, whilst working with the natural texture of each boy's mop. Lucia Pica kept faces clean with a defined cheekbone and perfectly matte skin

Acne Studios: Three words inspired Acne's menswear collection: awkward, askew and askance. These were also reflected in the hair direction with models' fringes gelled or tucked to one side to create a more graphic shape around the face. To contrast, skin was kept bare, with a luminous glow

Paul Smith: Sir Smith brought the outside in for S/S 2015 with green foliage replacing last season's oriental carpets, and with it came an inherent calmness. This ease was also echoed in the grooming, which saw Matt Mulhall create an artfully messy style that looked as though the boys had fallen asleep in a park on a warm summer afternoon. As sunglasses shielded eyes, make-up artist Lynsey Alexander added in a little bronzer to warm the skin

Hermès: Designer Véronique Nichanian has mastered the art of casual, but extremely luxurious summer dressing. To co-ordinate, Vi Sapyyapy created a hair look that was perfectly in sync, read: cool, relaxed and softly textured. Alexandra Schiavi's make-up was similarly dewy and fresh, delivered with a rested, just-returned-from-holiday ease

Valentino: Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's S/S 2015 collection may have taken inspiration from fantastical birds, beasts and butterflies, but their grooming took a more pared-back turn. Classic, but not overly tidy, side partings were paired with clean, matt skin

Kenzo: Carol Lim and Humberto Leon's passion for colour was repeated in this season's make-up with Aaron de Mey painting bold blocks of colour on select models' cheekbones or foreheads. To counterbalance, Anthony Turner left the hair natural, using just a little gel to add texture

Haider Ackermann: Hair was gently slicked back, or carefully ruffled to match Ackermann's languid silks and relaxed tailoring for S/S 2015, while skin was left dewy to reflect the show venue's early evening sun

Dries Van Noten: The Belgian designer envisaged a more 'sensual' Van Noten man for S/S 2015, his inspiration drawn from Soviet-born ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. As a result, the season's grooming look resembled a man who had just finished rehearsal. Cue softly flushed pink cheeks giving the impression of exertion, and gently tousled hair suggesting movement

Cerruti 1881: Inspired by a recent trip to California, Aldo Maria Camillo took a more relaxed approach to dressing for S/S 2015. This was similarly reflected in the grooming that saw Matt Mulhall offering up wet-look hair, as Karim Rahman prepped the skin to be neither too tanned, nor pale, instead alluding to the light touch of the West Coast sun

Raf Simons: In a show that was a tender revisiting of some of Simons' most valued memories, the season's youthful casting left little work for Peter Phillips when it came to the models' fresh, clear skin. Hair on the other hand was greased, and left long, with delicate extensions falling casually over the face. The effect recalled Simons' own long hair era, documented by a teenage passport photo of the designer that was pinned to the back of one of his jackets

Kris Van Assche: Reaching ten years of his eponymous label, Kris Van Assche's S/S 2015 collection was both a celebration of the past and a glimpse into his future. The show's grooming, however, was entirely dedicated to youth. Gina Van Den Bergh left a heavy shine on the high points of the face, whilst Anthony Turner pulled the models' straightened hair forward as fringes, adding some texture in the back, to reduce any heaviness as hair fell over their eyes

Givenchy: Riccardo Tisci showed both men's and women's looks on the runway this season, leaving stylist Luigi Murenu to bring coherence to the hair line-up by utilising sheer, black unisex skullcaps. Pat McGrath left the models' skin clear, merely adding a light sheen, while brushing brows upwards to keep the look strong

Louis Vuitton: Kim Jones journeyed to India, his exotic travels also inspiring make-up maestro Peter Phillips' approach. As a result, the artist brought a warmth to the skin, leaving it sun-kissed with a gentle glow. Guido Palau in turn smoothed hair into neat side-partings that weren't heavy on product or fuss

Rick Owens: The American designer's collection was inspired by a mischievous faun. To reflect the mythology theme, hair was artfully slicked back and held in place with plenty of gel - the shape's pointed sweep almost mimicking the ears of a mystical animal. Skin was left mostly bare, save for a few looks, which saw Lucia Pieroni use full body make-up to paint models in Owens' new pastel palette

Lanvin: The S/S 2015 Lanvin man is on the move with designer Lucas Ossendrijver contemplating how men travel around a city. For Guido Palau and Houda Remita this meant a grooming look that was quick and fuss free. Hair was not overly styled, looking freshly washed with a little product to hold it in place, while skin was moisturised and powdered

In a delirious triumph of artistic symbiosis, the American artist Sterling Ruby joined forces with Raf Simons for an electric menswear show for A/W14 that combined their fundamental anarchies in a collection bursting with violent and colourful promise. As an avid collector of Ruby's work and a firm friend, Simons levelled the postmodern playing field like never before in this 50/50 collaboration that saw his archetypal silhouettes become a new canvas for emotional expression. In an acid rainbow of cropped or cocooning parkas, sweatshirts and bleached denim (teetering on Buffalo-style biohazard boots) Ruby's graphic and typographic icons appeared in myriad appliqués - from urgent, striped collages to lettered bomber cuffs. Words like 'Fathers' appeared in a tribute to their own parents (both ex-military men) and 'Crypt' returned from Ruby's previous works, while 'Abus Lang' abbreviated 'abusive language'. Packaged as either art or fashion, the garments felt accessible and seductive, while the set design arched above us all, in four spongy gateways of stars and stripes - a nod to Ruby's Vampire series and his largest soft works to date.

Photography: Anna Stokland/Jason Lloyd-Evans

Raf Simons is certainly not your typical fashion designer. With a background in industrial design, a keen collector of 20th century furniture and ceramics, and a creative range that straddles haute couture for Christian Dior and his eponymous menswear line, Simons comes well-furnished to enter into a new interior textile partnership with Danish company Kvadrat, launching tonight in London - and featured in our March issue (W*180), with an exclusive interview by Alice Rawsthorn.

The idea for the tactile pairing first came to light when Simons was researching his A/W 2011 collection for Jil Sander. At the time the designer found his usual suppliers at a loss for the heavier weight fabrics, more reminiscent of upholstery textiles that he was seeking. 'I fell in love with those fabrics: the quality, the density, the colouration,' Simons recalls of his first Kvadrat encounter. 'At some point Kvadrat contacted me through Peter Saville, who I've known since way back and who works for them as an art director. We talked about the idea of my doing a kind of capsule collection. Bingo! I loved the idea.'

Flash forward to Simons' most recent menswear collection, shown last month in Paris, where the fashion world got a preview of his upcoming Kvadrat partnership. The A/W 2014 show, for which the designer collaborated with friend/American artist Sterling Ruby, featured a collaged coterie of overcoats - some showcasing striped patches of 70-plus variations of his flecked Kvadrat textiles.

The official unveiling of this first Kvadrat/Raf Simons collection will include both upholstery fabrics - which the designer describes as 'blank canvases' - and a select few finished products, from luxurious wool and cashmere 'Tronic' throws, to glossy mohair 'Pixie' blankets in saturated hues of royal blue, rich garden green and rose pink.

'The big question for me when designing for Kvadrat is: "Will I want to live with this for the next ten years?"' says Simons. 'People think more deeply about the things they live with in their homes. We want ours to last, so we didn't go wild, wild, wild. And we didn't want them to be too disconnected from what Kvadrat does already.'

Read our full interview with Raf Simons by Alice Rawsthorn in our March issue (W* 180), on sale now

Fashion week, nowadays, is about much more than just the collections. Showmanship is the name of game, and in the meticulously executed sartorial extravaganzas, the sound space is an element that no producer or designer can afford to overlook. Music royalty - past, present and future - is enlisted to ensure a full assault on the senses. Here, we bring you Paris Fashion Week's catwalk mega mix from the A/W 2014 menswear collections.

WEDNESDAY 15/01

Valentino

'Before Long' by Ryuichi Sakamoto; 'With or Without You' by Twin Shadow; 'NYC 73-78' by Beck; 'The Sheltering Sky' by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Raf Simons

'Speak To Me', by Pink Floyd; 'The Great Gig in the Sky', by Pink Floyd; 'On the Run' by Pink Floyd; 'Baby's on Fire' by Brian Eno

THURSDAY 16/01

Rick Owens

'Heavy Heat', remixed by RP Boo

Louis Vuitton

'Love is the Message', by MFSB

Music production: Honey Dijon

Dries Van Noten

'Sympathy For The Devil', by The Rolling Stones; 'Gimme Shelter' by Rolling Stones

Music production: Kid Koala aka Eric San
 
FRIDAY 17/01

Junya Watanabe

'Baby Blue' by King Krule; 'Ocean Bed' by King Krule; 'Easy Easy' by King Krule; 'A Lizard State' by King Krule; 'All Around the World' by Oasis

Kris Van Assche

'Destination/Rocket Number 9 (Gesaffelstein Remix)' by Gesaffelstein/Zombie Zombie

Music production: Michel Gaubert

Cerruti 1881

'Hymn to a Great City' by Katia & Marielle Labèque; 'Red Right Hand' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; 'Ashes To Ashes' by Warpaint

Music production: Michel Gaubert

Givenchy

'Flawless (Fashion Show Mix)' by The Martinez Brothers; 'Interlude 01' by The Martinez Brothers; 'The Kid (Fashion Show Mix)' by The Martinez Brothers

Music production: The Martinez Brothers

Comme des Garçons

'Hidden XS' by Fuck Buttons; 'Broken Head' by Cluster & Eno; 'Computerwelt' by Kraftwerk

Maison Martin Margiela

'Koln (January 24, 1975 Part I)' by Keith Jarrett; 'Koln (January 24, 1975 Part II A)' by Keith Jarrett

SATURDAY 18/01

Dior Homme

'Swan Rot' by Michael Nyman; 'Prawn Watching' by Michael Nyman; 'Human Drama (Paula Temple Remix)' by Planningtorock

Music production: Michel Gaubert

Hermès

'Golden Arrow' by Darkside; 'Hijk' by C.A.R; 'Paper Trails', by Darkside; 'Swept Away (New Jackson Remix)' by The XX; 'Got Well Soon' by Breton

Music production: Thierry Planelle

SUNDAY 19/01

Paul Smith

'Soft Parade' by The Doors; 'Soul Kitchen' by The Doors; 'LA Woman' by The Doors; 'My Wild Love' by The Doors; 'Touch Me' by The Doors

Music production: Peter Smith & Andrew Hale

Umit Benan

'Danny Boy' by Jackie Wilson; 'Hellhound' by Son of Dave; 'Stupid' by Bobby Womack                                       

Thom Browne

'Prologue' (from Birth OST) by Alexandre Desplat; 'The Rendezvous' (from Birth OST) by Alexandra Desplat; 'Birth Waltz - Finale' (from Birth OST) by Alexandre Desplat

Saint Laurent

General Education' by Froth

Christian Dior's artistic director Raf Simons has had many design lives, having begun his career as a furniture designer before fashion caught his eye. He founded his eponymous menswear label in 1995. Then, in 2005, Jil Sander and womenswear came calling, followed by couturier Christian Dior in 2012.

Few knew about Simons' ceramics period, or his expansive collection of French pottery that will go under the gavel at Paris' Piasa Rive Gauche auction house on December 17. 'French Ceramics 1945-70' comprises 205 lots, including 99 pieces from Simons' private collection, amassed over 15 years and featuring works by Georges Jouve, Roger Capron and Pol Chambost.

'When I was studying industrial design in Genk in the early 1990s, I was lucky enough to be taught by the Belgian ceramicist Piet Stockmans,' explains Simons in the auction catalogue of his introduction to earthenware. 'I became interested in furniture designers from the 1950s and 1960s, like Charlotte Perriand or Nakashima, and also in ceramics. 

'Before that, I trained with Walter Van Beirendonck in Paris, where I discovered the flea market at St-Ouen, which fascinated me,' he continues, adding commerce to the mix.

After graduation it wasn't long before Simons started buying and selling ceramics at Belgian antique markets. 'I even lived from this activity for a year or two,' he says. However, up until now the designer's Antwerp home has been the sole showroom for his sizeable collection. (It has also been known to influence his day job; some may recall the distinctive corolla shapes of Pol Chambost celebrated in his Autumn/Winter 2009-10 Jil Sander show.)

'Both with the heart and with the idea of adopting a curatorial approach,' says Simons of his style of collecting. 'That doesn't mean assembling a large amount of works by the same artist, but rather assembling emblematic pieces that help provide a better overview of his or her work. To me a collection is more a matter of time than of speed.'

The Belgian is the latest high-profile fashion designer to hit the auction circuit, Karl Lagerfeld having sold off multiple interiors collections over the years, from his 18th-century phase to the Memphis design period, as well as an Art Deco-themed lot.

But for Simons the sale does not represent an end point: 'I'm a designer, and for me things are always evolving, and such evolution is necessary. Just because they are being sold does not mean these pieces will be lost, or that I am no longer excited by great French ceramicists. Yes, of course - I'm sorry to see them go. But I'm happy to turn towards different pieces and new horizons.'

In the lead-up to the auction we spoke to Piasa's vice chairman and chief executive, Frédéric Chambre, about the significance of Simons' collection...

W*: In the catalogue Mr Simons says that French ceramics from the 1950s to 1970s have an 'identifiable and electric language'. Can you expand upon those characteristics?
Frédéric Chambre: The period spanning the 1950s to 1970s is considered the 'Golden Age' of French ceramics. French ceramics enjoyed an unprecedented creative boom, thanks to the emergence of a new breed of prolific and inventive artists, who elevated their craft to the level of art. They included Suzanne Ramié [1905-74], who founded Atelier Madoura with her husband Georges; Pablo Picasso was among their illustrious guests in Vallauris from the late 1940s, along with Jacques Ruelland [1926-2008] and Dani Ruelland [born in 1933], who rubbed shoulders with the Paris intelligentsia of St-Germain-des-Prés, while designing pieces with pure, anthropomorphic forms bursting with colour. Georges Jouve [1910-64], meanwhile, produced items with a perfect blend of rigour and imagination, imbued with special poetry, and collaborated with the leading designers of his era.

What are some of the most significant pieces in the collection and why is this auction garnering so much interest?
Raf Simons' collection is an incredible testament to the creation of French ceramics. One of the major items in the collection is a large, amazingly biomorphic vase by Valentine Schlegel, which is sure to arouse lively interest among international collectors [Lot 62, with an estimate of €20,000-€30,000]. We are also very excited to offer several groups of vases from Pol Chambost and Georges Jouve that are revealing the best of each artist's interpretation of colour and form.

Can you tell us about the setting for the show's preview, designed by Thierry Lemaire?
For each sale, Piasa Rive Gauche invites an architect or an interior designer to create a new vision of the shade lights on the works we are offering. In the past year we have worked with talented people such as Charles Zana, Gilles & Boissier and Pierre Yovanovitch. Decorator, designer and architect Thierry Lemaire's universe responds to the universal desire for chic and harmony. He provides a simple and timeless vision of a style that announces the classicism of the future.

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Lest we forget that Raf Simons began his career in furniture, the fashion designer chose to show his new collection amid the works of Jean Prouvé and Alexander Calder. The industrial and furniture design-trained Belgian tastemaker hasn't looked back since his radical decision to enter the world of menswear and launch his eponymous label in back 1995, but one need only look at his home in Antwerp - lined with pieces by Noguchi, Jeanneret, Chambost, Miro and Nakashima, among others - to see his design roots still run deep. So last night, he lured his audience to the Gagosian Gallery in Paris' Le Bourget, where he debuted his S/S 2014 collection in a joint exhibition of two of the titans of 20th century design and art.

Models weaved their way in between Prouvé's 'Station Essence Total', an awe-inspiring structure that he proposed as a portable gas filling station in 1970. They strode past guests, some of whom were lucky enough to be seated within 'Pavillon Démontable', a monumental prefabricated house that Prouvé constructed in 1944. And framing the scene, were Calder's colourful sheet metal and wire mobile sculptures, the likes of 'Rouge Triomphant', 'Les Trois Barres' and 'Enseigne de lunettes'.

The Jean Nouvel-designed Gagosian Le Bourget has never opened up an exhibition for an external event, let alone a fashion show. But, this being Simons, the gallery happily made an exception.

On display until November, the 'Calder-Prouvé' exhibition acts as a conversation piece between artist and designer, and the gallery worked with Galerie Patrick Seguin, who contributed the selection of Prouvé pieces for a side-by-side showing of Prouvé and Calder's works and ideas.

Prouvé is one of 20th-century design's most revered figureheads. Calder too, was prolific - artist, sculptor, and pioneer of the mobile. The coming together of their works for 'Calder-Prouvé' was no accident - the two became great friends in the early 1950s, regularly exchanging ideas on architecture and sculpture. Prouvé, in fact, designed the base structure for Calder's monumental 'La Spirale' mobile for the UNESCO site in Paris.

With Simons being a fan of the two artists, the cavernous space proved an apt setting for his Spring showcase. Marrying art and fashion, he employed a colour-pop palette, elongated tunics emblazoned with graphic ad slogans and sharp, bold cuts. Like that of the work of Prouvé and Calder's at the time, it was exciting, new, and ultimately forward-looking.

There's no denying the last year has been a significant one for Raf Simons. Since the Belgium-born fashion designer landed the coveted creative director post at Christian Dior last April - his ensuing output for the French fashion house has yielded widespread critical acclaim. Starting the new year as he means to go on, Simons - under his eponymous label -  has joined forces with German sportswear brand Adidas to launch a new capsule collection of trainers, adding yet another creative coup to his belt.

The Adidas by Raf Simons 'sneaker' collection made its debut during Simons' A/W 2013 show at Paris Men's fashion week last Wednesday. Both brands are of course no strangers to collaborative work - Adidas has worked with designer Stella McCartney on a range of sports wear for women, while Fred Perry has recruited Simons to design numerous collections since 2008.

Made up of five different shoe designs in three alternating colour palettes, the capsule range sees each sneaker set against an all black base with multicoloured silicone detailing in rose, green, blue or burgundy.

Simons' graphically-charged range stays entirely true to Adidas' commitment to producing aesthetically pleasing, high performance running gear. We're expecting it to be coveted by the fashion and sports worlds in equal measure.