Raf Simons AW19 and a tribute to David Lynch

Raf Simons’ first reappearance in public, after he left Calvin Klein last month, did not disappoint. Simons had a tangential response to this uncertain situation: “I don’t want to be negative,” he said. “I wanted to do something abstract, beautiful and elegant, proud and sophisticated, but without losing the essence of what the brand stands for: the young generation and dark films”.

Raf Simons

Simons said he finished the collection “before Christmas, before the mess started”. The proposal included a series of reference links from the firm. The first section of the show had Joy Division as soundtrack, a constant influence on the work of Simons, while the second section had a live performance. The noisy industrial music and the colorful changes of light did that the great location could connect it with the underground clubs to which the Belgian has us accustomed.

The collection itself was distinguished by its discreet aesthetics. The most outstanding pieces were mainly outerwear garments, with long coats of wool, leather and corduroy, while Simons referred to one of his most famous archival designs with another military-inspired parka. Other motifs included images of X-ray bones or flowers, although one of the most obvious references was to David Lynch’s 1986 film, Blue Velvet.