Raf Simons Joins Prada as Co-Creative Director

[Norden]

Wow so much Raf haters and cynicism here. I think it’s a very interesting move and these two are great designers. I’m sure whatever they come up with can be interesting and stimulating. Raf is a great collaborator when he wants, and I think Prada is an excellent match.

I hear people calling them pretentious. But not everything has to be democratic. I’m hoping that for Prada this will mean some new energy! And it’s lovely for Raf.

re Marc Jacobs. I still believe he should do Chanel or some other big house. His talents are wasted in New York.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

I think we all saw this coming from a mile away.

let’s hope he brings that magic he had at Jil Sander.

 

[Royal-Galliano]

This is gonna be hyped to the heavens and then a major disappointment.

that's what i fear. not even the photo accompanying the announcement gives the positive chills. let's see. can't say i'm super excited, though.

 

[Vitamine W]

Im just really scared of more inflated hollow intellectualism. I truly think that will be the kiss of death for Prada. Im also sincerely scared of more Vanderperre. More anxious than excited here tbh.

 

[MulletProof]

In this industry it seems there aren´t any other designers out there for hire. It is always Raf or Hedi!

Seriously. The same two exhausted characters over and over like an episode of Days of Our Lives, 20 years and counting now. Boomers really don’t know how to retire.. and fashion really doesn’t know how to get more ridiculous..

 

[mathiaskatz]

I'd much rather have Raf take over Miu Miu and relaunch the men's line. Equal footing at Prada just seems like trouble.

 

[dior_couture1245]

This won’t solve anything. I fear it will only make things worse.

 

[dior_couture1245]

let’s hope he brings that magic he had at Jil Sander.

Unless he brings along with him Patrick van Ommeslaeghe, don’t count on it.

 

[jeanclaude]

Unless he brings along with him Patrick van Ommeslaeghe, don’t count on it.

Totally! He is the designer who should be hired here. There is an abyss in terms of design between Jil Sander and Dior/CK...you can totally tell Raf wasn´t the real talent behind his amazing tenure at Jil Sander.

 

[RaisinBoy]

I actually applaud her for doing something unexpected and new! This is the freshness we asked from her.

 

[Fiercification]

Why anyone would bring on board the man who literally sunk the iconic American brand (people let's not forget, Calvin Klein doesn't do RTW full stop anymore...and yet Rodarte still exists!) in two short years is beyond me!

I'm not really a Raf fan, but this might have been received a little bit more positively like 10 years ago? To say I'm apprehensive is a understatement

*Destiny's Child and Wyclef Jean's 'No, No, No (Part 2)' plays in background.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^It’s true. I think a lot of us around here have begun to feel bitterly towards Raf, largely because it seems as though he is continually rewarded for bad work and bad behavior.

People become resentful of those - especially those considered to be a part of “the elite” - who consistently evade the much deserved consequences of their actions.

Giving Raf this gig at Prada, and the huge paycheck I’m sure it comes with, gives him no incentive to have to self reflect on what he did wrong at Dior and CK.

 

[vetements]

Would probably be easier if it’s a relatively fresher guy with lesser ego than Raf. I can’t imagine him taking the opinions of Miuccia humbly.
Sounds like a Valentino firing Alessandra Facinetti 2.0 to me.

At this point, Raf really just seem like a jinx, I quite liked what he did at Dior although it tanked but what happened to Calvin Klein, not so much the creativity, but the building a extravagant store and drastic, wilfully sweeping away its history, only to have it bombed, simply doesn’t make this new collaboration seem hopeful...

 

[russianelf]

Somebody photoshop that "death knocking on doors" meme with Raf, Ck and Prada

 

[Benn98]

It's again a situation where on paper it reads to perfection, yet the execution may be something different entirely. See CK. And yet, even when he was a wild card (Dior) he disappointed. So there's no telling, I suppose. I will say that having looked at both their work and their way of doing business, especially of late, this isn't the right partnership for Prada at this point. They're too alike imo, and I don't think he could bring anything new, fresh or innovative to the brand.

I see even in her darkest hour when one would think she would carefully consider the pros and cons, Miuccia's decision0making is still questionable. Who in their right mind would even consider Raf after the CK debacle for such a position? I know part fo the reason why things went pear-shaped was due to management, but a great part was on him. Also, him accepting this clearly shows he hasn't learned his lesson.

 

[tatouejeremie]

at least pieter mullier apparently isn't joining

 

[disco54]

I guess Prada wants to go bankrupt soon

 

[TaylorBinque]

It was bound to happen. They both have histories together before. And since we all know who bad Prada is doing now, it's no surprise they want to shake things up. My concern is that this shake up could lead them into bigger trouble. Both of them approach fashion and design in the same way: with lots of pretentiousness on thoughts, philosophy and whatsnot. For me, this sounds like a hypebeast-filled collection with same old idea. I hope they proved me wrong because looking at this collection and Raf's Jil Sander fringe collection, there are certainly beautiful things this collaboration can bring.
I just hope that it won't just be
P
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A
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and please no Willy Vanderpere and Sterling Ruby. They bring nothin to the table. Thank you.

 

[Vitamine W]

I actually applaud her for doing something unexpected and new! This is the freshness we asked from her.

Unexpected, new? Wait what? Expected, stale are words I'd rather use. How is another pay-check at another house fresh and new? His tenures at Dior and CK are infamously scattered with stories of arrogance, over-intellectualism and severe cases of superiority complex induced attitudes. I cant with this. Nice guys do finish last.

 

[Lola701]

at least pieter mullier apparently isn't joining

Weird isn’t it? I though it was Raf & team at Prada, not Raf by himself...
Maybe he got paid an insane amount of money and didn’t include his team as he would spend more time in Milan?
I find it so strange because as Dior & I showed us, the team is a huge part of his work. It’s not like he is drawing and drapping. I guess their collaboration will consist of intellectual discussions and Rizzo pulling pieces from the archives and Zambinetti putting all of that on clothes...

Matthieu Blazy deserves more than Raf Simons. He should go to Marni.