Photo: Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images
On the 21st, Raf Simons shocked the fashion world by declaring that the spring/summer 2023 collection would be the last for his eponymous brand. He made the announcement on the label’s official Instagram account. After the final model finished their turn on the catwalk, the exhibition, which was presented as part of London’s Frieze Art Fair, transformed into a party.
After working as a furniture designer and serving as an intern at fellow Belgian Walter van Beirendonck’s design firm, Simons established his business in 1995. He immediately rose to cult reputation for his youthful collections that demonstrated his natural talent for distilling ideas from the underground music and art scenes into instantly recognizable minimalist designs.
Philippe Vandenberg’s artwork was included in his spring/summer 2023 collection, and although though we didn’t realize it at the time, they turned out to be futuristic.
“They’re cruel words, like ‘Kill them all and dance.’ But he didn’t mean killing people,” the designer told Sarah Mower at the time. “He meant killing things that you’re doing creatively in order to move on and explore further.”
Simons posted on Instagram, saying, “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 and buyers, from my friends and family, and from our devoted fans and loyal followers. Thank you all, for believing in our vision and for believing in me.”
