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Robbie Snelders On Life at Raf Simons

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  • Ahimsa
    Vegan Police
    • Sep 2011
    • 1879

    Robbie Snelders On Life at Raf Simons

    Robbie Snelders On Life at Raf Simons
    Interview by Laura Praet

    "Capturing the nineties moment as a young, skinny, intimidatingly cool, raw, isolated, and underground night rider, Robbie Snelders was in the right place at the right time.

    Some 20 years ago his life took a dramatic turn and landed him in the then-emerging menswear brand, Raf Simons. HE REPRESENTED THEN, AND STILL DOES NOW, THE ESSENCE OF THAT ERA AND EVERYTHING THAT THE BRAND STOOD FOR IN ITS EARLY DAYS. FASHION BEING THE MIRROR OF THE ZEITGEIST AND OF TENDENCIES WITHIN SOCIETY, SNELDERS’ STYLE BECAME A TRADEMARK FOR YOUTH CULTURE AROUND THE WORLD.

    We meet with him at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. At the end of the hallway, a bomber-jacket-clad grunge. Wearing Walter Van Beirendonck paint- marked jeans with that bomber jacket, he’s still rocking his signature rebellious look.

    Laura Praet: Robbie Snelders, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Could you give us an idea of what your life was like before your encounter with Raf Simons?
    Robbie Snelders: I was a normal, struggling teenager with no prospects for the future, living day by day. I had just got kicked out of Antwerp’s Sint Lucas Academy, so there was a possibility for a new turning point.

    L.P: In 1998, at the age of 20, you got in touch with Simons for the first time, when you showed up spontaneously after a street casting for the Spring/ Summer “Black Palms” presentation. What convinced you to try it out and how did you experience it?
    R.S: I was working part time in a little shop, living in ignorance. A guy came up to me and asked if I wanted to model in Paris. First I thought, no way. When I arrived home that day I said to my then-girlfiend: “Can you believe they asked me to model for a designer in Paris?” I had never heard of Raf Simons before. I had nothing to lose. So I went to the telephone cabin and rang up the guy who had approached me. He asked me to come by the offices of Raf to introduce myself. I remember that I was wearing combat boots and army pants. I felt a bit awkward. They took some Polaroids of me and that was it. Before I even realized it, I was on a bus to Paris with 50 skinny male youngsters. The toilet was worse than in “Trainspotting,” but it was so much fun. A lot of nerves. Apart from a few, nobody had ever walked for a big designer in Paris before. From that point on I became Raf’s loyal fitting model.

    L.P: What were the things that kept you busy at the age of 20? As we recall, Simons was deeply intrigued by you as a young, self-destructive individual. What was it that he was attracted to? Also, what did you talk about? Have these conversations taken you anywhere unexpected?
    R.S: RAF WAS THE GUY WITH A SHIRT AND A BLAZER. HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE THAT GUY. HE THINKS IN TERMS OF BEAUTY. HE CAN GET A CERTAIN ENERGY OUT OF SOMEBODY. He took inspiration in me, but it’s not that I gave him things to work with. He just read it in my face and saw it through my eyes. I only thought of what I liked and Raf took what he thought was relevant and inspirational for him. I represented what I was interested in and that was just what was happening on the street. I could give him an idea of what is was like being 20 years old and struggling in the streets. It was a very bizarre chemistry. Everything came from a feeling. We did plenty of research, we had polystyrene walls covered with research material, where all the creatives could go wild. Music was my everything. I loved the electronic, industrial music of Front 242 or Skinny Puppy, but we talked about all sorts of music. I never limited myself to only one genre. I could easily listen just as well to the Clash or the Ramones and Motörhead. Others listened to gothic music; we were the electronic gang, so we always had these confrontations when showing up somewhere. All this has been lost. The effort we had to go through in order to find and gather useful information for research 15 years ago was reflected in the collections. People still worked very closely with one another and influenced each other much more than today.

    L.P: Would you do it all over again?
    R.S: Sure, but I’d do it differently. I think I was too easygoing. I should have spoken up a bit more. I loved everybody at the firm so badly. I tried to do good, but sometimes did a bit bad. It got a bit frustrating by the end. My health suffered a lot. It was not a nine-to-five job. At 11 P.M. at night, they were still working on their things. And I always stayed, even if I wasn’t doing anything. I just couldn’t leave. I was always worried. I wanted them to have everything they needed, so I often went for food and beverages. I couldn’t let it go, I knew perfectly what Raf wanted and therefore wanted to take care of it myself so it would be ok for him, and ensure that he was in a good mood. At a certain point there were a few interns who could have taken on these tasks, but like I said, I just couldn’t let it go. Raf repeatedly said, “If you need a break, tell me,” but I couldn’t. So yeah, I wouldn’t make these same mistakes. I’m repeating myself… I’m so happy to have met so many great people, who I still see today.

    L.P: Do designers today still have an alter-ego or a muse, like you were for Simons?
    R.S: Muses really meant something back then and I think they still do, although their role is less intense these days. Now with the internet you can get all the information you want with just a click of the mouse. We used to go and buy books, went to Guerrisol in Paris for vintage clothes, and so on. All of this has been lost. It has all become so hasty and accessible, an overflow of everything."

    Full interview on StyleZeitgeist Magazine
    StyleZeitgeist Magazine | Store
  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    #2
    Everyone should read this enlightening interview. I am glad we got to publish it.
    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine

    Comment

    • Anton
      Senior Member
      • Oct 2014
      • 261

      #3
      I really enjoyed the read, fantastic insight on his work and relationship with Raf.
      Last edited by Anton; 04-19-2016, 12:03 PM.
      I love beautiful melodies, telling me terrible things.
      My Music: https://soundcloud.com/iamanton

      Comment

      • Faust
        kitsch killer
        • Sep 2006
        • 37852

        #4
        His influence on Raf's work, the entire youth culture aesthetic, cannot be underestimated, and is the worst kept secret in the industry. Raf took all the credit, but it was really Robbie's life projected onto those clothes.
        Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

        StyleZeitgeist Magazine

        Comment

        • Ahimsa
          Vegan Police
          • Sep 2011
          • 1879

          #5
          This interview was really fantastic. My work life was extremely similar to his for quite some time so it's nice to see parallels with a brand like that.

          Loved his comment about bearded hipsters. It's so true about this homogeny of style that I've been seeing everywhere I go now, especially at clubs/raves where one's allowed to be whatever and yet I'm continually disappointed.
          StyleZeitgeist Magazine | Store

          Comment

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