Raf Simons Men's SS17 - Pitti Uomo

[Ahimsa]

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Photography by Eugene Rabkin

[scanner]

What a breath of fresh air. I'm usually not into such literal collaborations but Raf's clothes are so in sync with Mapplethorpe's imagery that it becomes something entirely new and unique. This is art.

[Faust]

I agree that it was a strong collection. I guess it had to be a bit repetitive to show the full range of prints he used, but they are not just prints slapped on sweatshirts. There is both design and styling present. It's a good outing. Here is what I wrote for Diane Pernet

"So, it was all Raf on my last night at Pitti Uomo, and he delivered and then some. As we were ushered into the Stazione Leopolda, an abandoned train station, we were greeted by an installation featuring Simons’s archival pieces on disfigured mannequins amidst scaffolding. Industrial music played while we wandered around. I felt like the proverbial kid in the candy store, being reminded of just how much Simons has done for men’s fashion. The all-standing show began at nine in the evening, and out went out look after look with prints by Robert Mapplethorpe. They were on oversized dress shirts, on aprons, and on totes. These were paired with Raf’s impressive tailoring. It was Simons showing the younguns how it’s done, and reclaiming his rightful spot as the leader of fashion that engages other aspects of culture. It was a show that touched not only because it happened so shortly after the horrific mass shooting at an Orlando gay club, but also reminded us of the time when culture still could be dangerous to society. That time has passed, for fashion as much as art. Fashion now mostly engages in empty gestures and self-referential giggles. Everyone is in on the hip joke - the designers, the press, and even the consumers. In such a milieu, to have Simons still earnestly trying to create something that matters is doubly refreshing."

http://ashadedviewonfashion.com/blog/what-i-saw-pitti-uomo-90-eugene-rabkin

[jogu]

love it . dont really care about the prints tbh. id love one of those extra long sleeved button up shirts; like how theyre oversized but still fit like mediums, smalls , etc. these are clothes i can wear everyday that still fit my style . ill swap the prints with the bathory goat = perfect .

[aussy]

Agreed, Jogu. The flower and more abstract human prints work but I found the portraits to be distracting. I usually hate the idea of wearing the faces of others, even in tattoos. Though, I do like Raf's 'framing' approach; he recognized that designers in the past had curated Mapplethorpe and did the same in his own way. I just wish the prints were used more sparingly.

The clothes were a nice breather from the loud collections Raf has been putting out, which I still love. Nice to see the cropped sweater in a cleaner, more architectural (barf) iteration. Really like the undone necklines, overalls and oversized dress shirts contrasted with Raf's usual fitted formal wear and completely squared off necklines. Gives off a sort of boyish flirtation, the schoolboy version of some of Yohji's collections. A very tense collection with just enough of a fetish vibe.

[lowrey]

this was my favorite Raf collection in a long, long time

[Maison d'Ashraf]

this was my favorite Raf collection in a long, long time

I agree.. love the collection especially the Mapplethorpe flower photos... with that being said, saw Antonioli has pre-order available... do you guys know other stockist doing pre order?