Raf Simons Mens F/W 2015.16 Paris

[Koibito]

I like the unfinished jacket and this collection is just like the boyfriend of Dior women nowadays.

 

[pen6693]

Bye, I thought this was a Dior collection at first lol. Not feeling it

 

[margielamike2004]

Review by Tim Blanks for Style.com


What Raf Simons is doing with fashion is something unprecedented. Yes, the act of creating anything is always going to be autobiographical at its root, but the way Simons has been exploring his past is on a higher plane. It is so arcane and so specific, and yet at the same time it touches on a consciousness that comes to everyone with time. Age gives you the perspective to understand what it was you were actually doing when you were young.

"Youth on a pedestal." That was Simons' off-the-cuff explanation of the staging of his show tonight, with its catwalk raised high above the crowd. The models wore almost-floor-length looks—coats, gilets—which elongated them still further for the audience that was gathered at their feet. We stood anywhere we cared to for the duration of the presentation. So did the photographers.

Simons instantly regretted the glibness of his words, but he was only cutting to the quick of his aesthetic. He has always been driven by the beauty and passion of youth, alongside an acceptance of its passing, which has loaned his work its air of melancholy. Simons has always loved the community of youth. "I'm an only child," he reminded us tonight. It's why music was so important to him. Your allegiance to musicians was how you defined yourself, first in your bedroom and then in your school, your bar, your club, long before you knew anything about fashion.

"I wish there could be 10,000 people here tonight," Simons said of the warehouse on the outskirts of Paris where he staged his show. "A gathering of people, the way it was in the beginning." That would have been an amazing sight: thousands moving to Deep Purple's "Child in Time," a 45-year-old track that is as majestic now as it was to baby acidheads in 1970. Which was surely the point that Simons and sound designer Michel Gaubert wanted to make. "Child in Time" made the notion of "relevance" irrelevant. The collection set out to do the same.

Its key item was a long white cotton coat, thoroughly graffitied with slogans and cartoons. Utterly mystifying, until you heard Simons' explanation. In Belgium, there is a "celebration" of your first 100 days at college, when boys from the second and third years test your physical and mental limits—hazing, in other words. (For Simons' "celebration," he and four others had their feet buried in buckets of plaster that set rock-hard, forcing the five to stand upright for an entire day till their persecutors handed them hammers to crack their way out. Other newbies are less fortunate. Lives have been lost.) The persecutors wear long white coats scrawled with slogans.

Stylist Olivier Rizzo, who with photographer Willy Vanderperre forms a trinity of decades-long shared experience with Simons, misted up as the coats came down the catwalk. "This is one part of his past that Raf hasn't touched on," he noted. The part that memory plays in Simons' collections has become more pointed with the passage of time. There was much here that offered oblique amplification. For the first time, there were women on a Raf Simons catwalk. That was him thinking back to Helmut Lang, one of the people who most influenced him. Martin Margiela, another significant influence, made his presence felt in gilets that eroded from precise tailoring to a mess of ragged hems. Order and chaos: Simons is riveted by the dichotomy.

Quite how it all related to Simons' place in the fashion world—ultimate indie here, kingpin of Dior there—was a moot point. You wouldn't want to say the designer hankers for the days when restrictions (or "non-opportunities," as he calls them) spurred his creativity, but there is that picture he paints of kids like himself back then going down to the market to cobble together their own versions of the designer looks they couldn't afford to buy. They're still doing it now, because it's the eternal romance of hard-done-by, misunderstood, plucky kid stuff. And no one sells it like Simons.

 

[TaylorBinque]

As much as I adore Raf Simons and I actually like the early works at Dior, I think he was better when he’s at Jil Sander. The clothes he put doesn’t have the under-lying pretentiousness and try-hard. Like the couture trilogy collection was very well-put and effortlessly elegant and cool. The same way with his namesake line which is naturally cool and grounded. I do get the sentimental and emotional stories from his collections but the collections themselves lacks a “good clothing” factor. Like at the end of the day a good collection should at least provoke thoughts and ideas yet have great clothing.

 

[margielamike2004]

As far as "Dior"..I honestly couldn't give a damn about that label.

Christian Dior started his company in 1947...and he passed away in 1957. He only lived for a mere 5 years to watch his own company grow.

His company has gone through so many hands...by so many designers..it's ridiculous.

Lets face the truth and face the facts....Christian Dior..is Dead..Dead..Dead...and no matter how many other designers they hire to "think and design like Christian Dior"..it will never measure up. No matter how desperately Louis Vuitton tries to keep the spirit and the legacy of Christian Dior alive...it will never be Dior himself, ever again.

 

[margielamike2004]

"Great clothing" is always open to different interpretations.

Some people aspire to look like they spent a fortune on their clothes....and some people don't feel the need to impress.

 

[margielamike2004]

Personally...I think Jil Sander was much better when it was being designed by Jil Sander.

It seems rightfully appropriate.

 

[Lola701]

I don't know if it means something but i really have a problem with him putting those female models in his show, now, in this time, to "raise conversations about gender". It's very very gimmicky!
As a woman and a Raf Simons wearer, i don't think his menswear is about that. For me, his menswear was always about "mens mens". It's masculine with some feminine touch but not the "put a man in a blouse or a lace top" thing.

I started to wear his line when Helmut Lang left...and i'm wearing it my way (i'm a Tom Ford fan so...). For me Raf is a designer who is doing menswear with the same level of experimentation as someone who is doing womenswear.

So, seeing him jumping into this trend is disturbing. I mean, 5 or 6 years ago he did that collection with the shortest shorts ever i think but it was a very masculine vision...but i bought those shorts! Even at Jil Sander, his womenswear was very sexy, sensual and sometimes soft and his menswear very hard, focused kinda "American Psycho"..

As a collection, it's very sterile & lazy. People will love it because it's Raf and because he is cool forever...not because it's good. It's actually good...but for a designer like Raf, good is not enough.

 

[IZ uS]

I always wish Raf the best. I thinking he is trying, instead of just designing to impress. I like this collection and his Pre Fall for Dior. I like his philosophy and I connect with it, regardless of peoples opinions. I believe in Raf, he has a method to his madness, though i don't think we totally understand the madness... just yet.

 

[Scott]

i got news for a lot of you,just because something doesn't suit your ideals or the ideals of an industry doesn't make it less acceptable. there is a sea of followers out there and the medium has grown to the point where we can enjoy all sorts viewpoints and concepts....there are no rules anymore. and frankly as stagnant as fashion has become we need visions like this. luckily raf has been one one those constants...one who has always remained to true to his style,despite all the mind numbing cycles and shifts fashion has gone through the last decade. my question is,15 years ago something like this would have been lauded for pushing the boundaries of menswear but today it's all considered "pretentious" or "condescending". personally i find it condescending when people degrade and belittle a designer's freedom to be creative simply because it doesn't suit one's tastes or because you refuse to see it beyond the surface. if you like generic fashion that's your right but don't act like your taste is the only thing that matters.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Everyone's just expressing their opinion Scott-- I don't think anyone's enforcing it onto you.

It is a matter of personal preference and taste of course, nothing personal.

The problem I have with this collection, and collections like this, is that it's from a famous designer whose designs are very expensive. It's hard for me to understand why such an expensive label would put out such "raw", such half-baked, such grungy designs. You know, had something similar come from a new designer-- and by similar, I mean the concept of androgyny and recycled clothes, even an ugliness, not necessarily this exact collection, because I don't think Raf is offering any new ideas here, I wouldn't be so harsh. It would be like Viv going back and designing a collection with garbage bags again. Raf can't put out such a raw, and juvenile collection when he's at the stage of the game he is now. That's my problem with what he's doing: Raf isn't a punk rocker designer challenging the system that he's become a huge part of.

To me, one becomes a caricature of high fashion when one will wear these types of expensive designs by a famous designer. Now, if someone made it themselves, that's a different story and I'm all for it.

The condescending part comes to mind when looking at this collection-- and what Raf has been putting out currently, when there's nothing new, nothing fresh, and nothing thoughtful or well-made here.

When Rei introduced a dowdy boiled-wool to her inventive and innovative fabrication, she made ballgowns from them; when Miuccia used a utilitarian fabric like nylon, she made skillfully, and sharply tailored pieces from them; and when Thom Browne started to show his Tim Burton-esque mutating designs-- which everyone knew were never going to end up in the stores, they at least entertained and looked like they took time to make. I don't see any effort, any tailoring, or anything that would move fashion ahead with this collection. It's just doing something different for the sake of it. And it's all so ill-fitting and depressing to me: One jacket has a shoulder that fits properly, while the other shoulder of the jacket is hanging off the model's own shoulders. Or, coats are so oversized and formless. And even worse are the cheap, doll-clothes with their stupid-looking oversized collars, huge zips... I mean, come on, the rest of the collection consists of sleeveless, long vests that resemble something Maude of Maude, from the 1970s sitcom, would wear, with a color-palette that's so depressing and right out of All In The Family.

It's all so cheap-looking for such supposedly high fashion.

 

[gazebo]

The hype definitely got to him. He threw in anything and everything that came to the top of his head and out of his sleeve, but maybe he has to due to his tight schedule. I don't know exactly how many collections he designs a year, but I sure think both Dior and his namesake suffer tremendously from this.
Maybe if he was wearing his own stuff it would be more believable but of course he would look ridiculous in this stuff.

 

[Scott]

^^^ Everyone's just expressing their opinion Scott-- I don't think anyone's enforcing it onto you.

It is a matter of personal preference and taste of course, nothing personal.

The problem I have with this collection, and collections like this, is that it's from a famous designer whose designs are very expensive. It's hard for me to understand why such an expensive label would put out such "raw", such half-baked, such grungy designs. You know, had something similar come from a new designer-- and by similar, I mean the concept of androgyny and recycled clothes, even an ugliness, not necessarily this exact collection, because I don't think Raf is offering any new ideas here, I wouldn't be so harsh. It would be like Viv going back and designing a collection with garbage bags again. Raf can't put out such a raw, and juvenile collection when he's at the stage of the game he is now. That's my problem with what he's doing: Raf isn't a punk rocker designer challenging the system that he's become a huge part of.

To me, one becomes a caricature of high fashion when one will wear these types of expensive designs by a famous designer. Now, if someone made it themselves, that's a different story and I'm all for it.

The condescending part comes to mind when looking at this collection-- and what Raf has been putting out currently, when there's nothing new, nothing fresh, and nothing thoughtful or well-made here.

When Rei introduced a dowdy boiled-wool to her inventive and innovative fabrication, she made ballgowns from them; when Miuccia used a utilitarian fabric like nylon, she made skillfully, and sharply tailored pieces from them; and when Thom Browne started to show his Tim Burton-esque mutating designs-- which everyone knew were never going to end up in the stores, they at least entertained and looked like they took time to make. I don't see any effort, any tailoring, or anything that would move fashion ahead with this collection. It's just doing something different for the sake of it. And it's all so ill-fitting and depressing to me: One jacket has a shoulder that fits properly, while the other shoulder of the jacket is hanging off the model's own shoulders. Or, coats are so oversized and formless. And even worse are the cheap, doll-clothes with their stupid-looking oversized collars, huge zips... I mean, come on, the rest of the collection consists of sleeveless, long vests that resemble something Maude of Maude, from the 1970s sitcom, would wear, with a color-palette that's so depressing and right out of All In The Family.

It's all so cheap-looking for such supposedly high fashion.

it isn't the opinions about how you feel about the work it's the pretension comments that i find a bit aggravating....as if to say people who don't conform are unworthy.

i have to respectfully disagree with you....i think with how much fashion has become so generic,so commercially driven,i think we've come to a point where need a bit of rawness and roughness again. raf is a designer who sells,that much is true but at the same time he's also a creative....i don't expect a parade of salable nothingness to stream down his catwalk.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^sorry but how do you define condescending fashion? that somebody goes against the grain...does something different than the ideal. sorry but menswear can get tired and thank heavens raf continues to challenge the system.

The reason I feel this collection condescending (and all his work for Dior thus far, as well) is that it feels forced in it's execution and forced in it's "more-intelligent-than-you" attitude. It feels pretentious. I believe whole-heartedly in experimentation and pushing the boundaries of what is "acceptable" in fashion. The problem here and at Dior is that I don't really think Raf is trying to be experimental at all. To me - this looks like everything we've already seen and all the fashion rules are being adhered to. I mean, everything here looks so intentionally "cool" and "conceptual" and the effect is so calculated to me. It doesn't feel intuitive or on the pulse.

Fashion, now, is so easy impress. Throw some strangely proportioned clothes in stranger colors, on strange models with strange, wet, sweaty hair, march them down the runway, scowling and tripping over themselves, play an obscure song, provide overly-worded show notes to intellectualize the entire affair - and then BOOM! You've got the coolest show in town. It's a full-fledged Instagram hit.

This kind of designing and presenting clothes is so tired to me. There's room for everything and anything in this industry, but when everyone is doing this moody, sweaty, angsty, pseudo-intellectual stuff, I just can't take it anymore. Where are the designers that want to push the envelope but still make people look and feel beautiful? Grown-up? Healthy? Attractive? Sensual or sexual? THAT would actually be something different for the times.

 

[margielamike2004]

I wish Raf would walk out on Dior/Louis Vuitton...so he can put more concentration into his own label under his own name.

Let the corporate dregs in their navy blue suits at Vuitton design the collection for Dior.

They own the company..so they should be the ones to design it.

 

[margielamike2004]

Looking sexual and attractive is open to interpretation...what some people see as sexy..others see it as typical, predictable, and pathetic.

If Raf wanted to focus more upon being provocative..commercial...and more visually appealing to the masses...he'd throw in his resume at Gucci or Versace.

 

[IloveDiorHomme]

"Grown-up? Healthy? Attractive? Sensual or sexual? THAT would actually be something different for the times."

When I read this, only one name comes to my mind: Helmut Lang.

Menswear is either too boring or too forced these day. When it's not repetitive and pointless, it's just another young designer clownesque design. Why is it so difficult for menswear to creat desirable, cool, modern clothes that make you sexy ?

 

[margielamike2004]

There is no more Helmut Lang...and you have the Prada Group to thank for that.

There is no more Martin Margiela...you can all thank the Diesel Jeans Corp for that.

There is no more Jil Sander...again...you can thank the Prada Group for that.

There is no more Christian Dior...he died in 1957...his company got bought by Vuitton...and they've been trying to keep the Dior label alive for decades

John Galliano is now head designer for Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture??

It's all one big stupid joke.

 

[Mutterlein]

The problem I have with this collection, and collections like this, is that it's from a famous designer whose designs are very expensive. It's hard for me to understand why such an expensive label would put out such "raw", such half-baked, such grungy designs. You know, had something similar come from a new designer-- and by similar, I mean the concept of androgyny and recycled clothes, even an ugliness, not necessarily this exact collection, because I don't think Raf is offering any new ideas here, I wouldn't be so harsh. It would be like Viv going back and designing a collection with garbage bags again. Raf can't put out such a raw, and juvenile collection when he's at the stage of the game he is now. That's my problem with what he's doing: Raf isn't a punk rocker designer challenging the system that he's become a huge part of.

Well, I'm not sure how "raw" this collection actually is. I haven't seen the clothes in person I bet the "raw edges" are more decorative and that the clothes are probably well finished. One thing I will say about Raf's clothes, they are well done.

What annoys me, and similar to your sentiment, is that there is nothing groundbreaking about this collection. In fact, I would say it's mostly been done. Sure, there is the gender thing, but I'm not convinced and I'm entirely sure Raf is either.

The collection is about youth, his youth suppose. But his memory is maybe cloudy and this collection couldn't be farther from what youth culture today and of yesterday represented.


I've looked through this collection trying to find what people might like about, I can't find anything beyond the fact that Raf designed it. Some say he's getting at something we can't yet see, but it's been several seasons of this I'm not sure ride he's taking us anywhere we actually want to be.

The truth is, Raf's collections of late seem only to serve one purpose: to announce when worn that your clothes are from whichever Raf Simons collection. It's clothes for fashion victims. No thank you.

 

[margielamike2004]

Awww..designing clothes that make people look sexy. Yup...that's my whole outlook in regards to fashion...whatever I put on my body...I feel the need to be looked upon as a breeding machine..an object of desire... the lust for others affection. If the clothes I wear..don't get me laid for the day..my existence isn't complete.