Raf Simons

Autumn-Winter 2013/14

With a lot riding on the shoulders of Raf Simons, his menswear collection is just another bag to carry and whilst some might crack under the pressure, Mr Simmons is continuing to show a spine made of steel.

In Paris, Raf Simmons took the school boy image that became the go-to silhouette in past seasons and introduced his farther, as long, loose trousers replaced the slim ankle grazer of the past. It was 60s, but it wasn’t in your face 60s; it was sombre in many ways as long collared shirts peeped out of tight over sweaters or turtlenecks in lashings of vibrant tones such as bottle greens, beige and bright cerulean. This relaxed silhouette suddenly became stricter with the welcoming of double-breasted blazers, oversized with a panel stretching over the collarbone, adding structure and difference to this season’s go to suiting.

There were geek connotations too as tank and jumper knits with swordsman motifs that were placed under shirts and over them, held a retro feel. With all this thrown together it created a collection that had no real specific look, yet in a broader sense mirrored Raf Simmons’s rise, as he continues to grow up in fashion, it seems so does his man.