The press release published on Instagram yesterday evening created a surprise. After 27 years of activity, the artistic director of Prada, Raf Simons, has decided to close the brand bearing his name. ” I have no words to describe how proud I am of what we have achieved “, he writes. Its London show in October, held during the contemporary art fair Frieze, in which models walk directly on the slab of a space dedicated to raves, is therefore the brand’s last.
Founded in 1995, the brand by the 54-year-old Belgian designer, who studied architecture in Genk, has built a loyal community of fans over time. Each of his collections was an opportunity to revisit contemporary counterculture and artistic influences. In his parades there were references to the post-punk groups New Order and Sonic Youth, the English rock of the Manic Street Preachers or the gabbers of Rotterdam, as well as the works of artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Piet Mondrian and Sterling Ruby. In 2018, he notably presented one of his most provocative men’s collections, exploring themes of drug addiction and revisiting the cult film character. I am Christiane F., 13 years old, drug addict, prostitute by Uli Edel (1981), adapted from the German novel of the same name.
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The radical aesthetic of the Raf Simons brand, whose fitted and precise lines have significantly inspired contemporary menswear, has earned him a large following. insiders. Some pieces from his archive, such as a series of parkas made in collaboration with Peter Saville, with New Order album covers printed on the back, fetched tens of thousands of euros second-hand today. 2017 in its pipeline peso rapper A$AP Rocky even sang Raf Simons, Rick Owens, I wear that a lot “. This made the label one of the most followed by young fans of the artist…” I am grateful for the incredible support of my team, partners, press and buyers, as well as our fans and loyal followers.“, he wrote in his press release.
Simons did not provide a rationale for this decision. But since arriving at Prada in 2020, some of her fans seem to have shifted their focus to the Milanese house’s collections. If his archives are torn, and if his parades have always been watched and appreciated by the critic who won his cause, his works have had more commercial difficulties than in the past.
Above all, in addition to the artistic direction of his own brand (which held a parade twice a year), he produced four collections a year in collaboration with Miuccia Prada. Crossing Jil Sander, Dior (from 2012 to 2015) and Calvin Klein (from 2016 to 2018), she has previously denounced the shortcomings of so much creativity. ” With so many collections, there is no more incubation time for ideas. he explained about the move from Dior to the American site The Cut. And this time it is important.With this decision, he should have time to focus on his work for Prada. Perhaps considering the departure of Miuccia Prada, whose retirement rumors are becoming more and more urgent.
Source: Le Figaro
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