Raf Simons Sits Down with 032c, Talks Fashion’s Serious Fear of Evolution

German fashion and culture magazine 032c speaks with illustrious designer Raf Simons in its latest issue. Centered around a selection of Raf Simons’ work from 1995 to 2015, the feature highlights the Belgian designer through a variety of subjects, including thoughts on the trajectory of his brand, the impact of the internet, practicing patience, and the current state of fashion. The in-depth feature coincides with the celebration of Simons’ new Dior 2015 pre-fall collection in Tokyo. Check out select excerpts from the interview below and look for the feature in its entirety in 032c issue #27, available for purchase from the magazine’s web store.

How does the Raf Simons brand relate to you?

If I could be completely anonymous, I would. But, these days, it’s not possible anymore in fashion. Since working at Jil Sander, and especially since Dior, the whole thing is very global and exposed. It’s over-the-top exposed and communicated. And that’s not me as a person. It’s also not my brand. We don’t advertise. We simply put our clothes out there. I am very proud of it. I know for a fact that our business comes from press, journalists, and clients believing in the brand and not because they are obligated.

Internet media has really changed the way we pay attention to clothes. Is the constant Tumblr of images and cultures a threat, or is it an opportunity?

I’m not so interested myself, but I am interested that other people are interested. I have a huge disinterest in technologies that accelerate cultural speed. Immediately, they make me uncomfortable. When I think about the speed images are consumed on Tumblr it’s already not my thing. The way communication goes over the Internet is not my thing. I can’t be positive or negative about it. But I’m fascinated by what society is becoming, and its evolution. I am watching the behavior more than the thing itself. I am not going on Tumblr to see what is going on. Not in my interest. I am more interested in mystique and romance, what’s difficult to find, aesthetics that are not in your face. When I think about images, naturally I am more attracted when I feel there is certain meaning, when someone is trying to say something. You have to investigate. You are prompted to investigate and understand, more than merely consuming the image. It’s how you judge looking at everything you see. There are things you immediately know are surface, and other things the opposite, and I’m more interested in the opposite. When you find everything so easily, you don’t look deeply anymore and you don’t investigate anymore. And you get bored.

Are you patient?

I think fashion made me very impatient and I hate myself for it. I am a long-term thinker and not in it for the short run so in that sense, I think I am patient. When it comes to love and friendship and the normal things in life, I think I am patient. Fashion, however, does not know patience. It’s an abnormal life. When I see friends who have nothing to do with fashion and discuss a collection that we presented six months ago, for them that collection has not really happened, because it’s still not in the stores. It’s very weird.