Raf Simons
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REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
PARIS, January 22, 2011
By Tim Blanks
In the past, Raf Simons has used his show invitations as manifestos. His latest, with its cryptic comment about the Rise of the Craftsman and Fall of the Prince, took on added weight with today's announcement that Simons had terminated his relationship with his business partners in Italy. The words on the invitation allowed one to idly conjure up a face-off between the Artist and the Autocrat, but as it turned out, there were better things to talk about backstage after than the news flash. Why worry about the future when the immediate present demanded so much attention in the glorious shape of Raf's Fall collection?And shape was the operative word. There were suggestions of the designer's ongoing fascination with haute couture in silhouettes that lightly caped a coat back, unseamed and rounded a shoulder, or boxed a jacket. (If couture is craftsmanship, was that mohair apron a gentle reminder of the craftsman at his workbench?) The maximal spirit Simons has been talking about since mid-2010 was obvious from the outset, with a camel coat wrapping a high-collared latex top. Likewise, the vivid shades that colored elongated knits, the coats, and oversize tunics. One example in orange closed with toggles down the back, a duffel in reverse.
The duffel coat was a cornerstone of the collection. Another was the parka. As these student classics implied, Simons had college on his mind. His young idealists could wear a bonded flannel sweatshirt advertising their allegiance to Dead Prince College or declaring that they were a Memory Ware Collector (making them fans of the artist Mike Kelley's work, like Raf). If this was Simons' way of saying he still had plenty to learn, his "college" clothes managed a techno precision that made you realize just how far he's come from the hand-collaged rawness and urgency of, say, his Manic Street Preachers collection. In that respect, this show assuredly started the next phase of his career.
At the beginning and end, the soundtrack producer Michel Gaubert played Marcus Schmickler's Palace of Marvels (Queered Pitch), a piece of music that began with a steadily ascendant electronic roar. It was the sound of someone taking off to somewhere new.
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Fall 2011 Menswear
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3.1 Phillip Lim -
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Acne Adam Kimmel Agnès B. Alexander McQueen Alexis Mabille Ann Demeulemeester Antonio Azzuolo -
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Balenciaga Bally Balmain Band of Outsiders Bespoken Billy Reid Bottega Veneta Buckler Burberry Prorsum -
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Calvin Klein Collection Canali Christophe Lemaire Comme des Garçons Costume National Custo Barcelona -
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D&G Dior Homme DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Dries Van Noten Dsquared² Duckie Brown Dunhill -
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E. Tautz Edun Elie Tahari Emporio Armani Ermenegildo Zegna Etro -
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Gant by Michael Bastian Gap Gianfranco Ferré Gilded Age Giorgio Armani Givenchy Gucci -
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Henrik Vibskov Hermès -
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Iceberg Issey Miyake -
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J.Crew James Long Jean Paul Gaultier Jil Sander John Galliano John Richmond John Varvatos Junya Watanabe -
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Kenzo Kris Van Assche -
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Lanvin Libertine Loden Dager Louis Vuitton -
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Maison Martin Margiela Marc Jacobs Men Marni Michael Kors Miharayasuhiro Missoni Moncler Gamme Bleu Moncler Grenoble Moschino Mugler -
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N.Hoolywood Neil Barrett Nicholas K -
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Patrik Ervell Paul Smith Perry Ellis Prada Pringle of Scotland -
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RAD by Rad Hourani Raf Simons Rag & Bone Richard Chai Rick Owens Robert Geller Roberto Cavalli Roland Mouret Mr. -
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Salvatore Ferragamo Shipley & Halmos Simon Spurr Steven Alan -
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T by Alexander Wang Thom Browne Tim Hamilton Timo Weiland Tommy Hilfiger Trussardi -
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Umit Benan -
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Versace Viktor & Rolf Vivienne Westwood -
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Walter Van Beirendonck Woolrich Woolen Mills -
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Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
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