Raf Simons Ushers New Wave of Menswear Tailoring for SS19
Suits are the new hoodies.
After three successful seasons at NYFW, Raf Simons returned to Paris Fashion Week for his Spring/Summer 2019 show at a rave-fuelled warehouse in the Montreuil suburbs of Paris. But Raf’s latest presentation was more than a homecoming via location — it was a call back to the old tailoring codes once requisite for luxury menswear, prior to its current fixation on sportswear casual. As such, SS19 was somewhat of a retort to Raf’s own FW18 collection, whose flagship piece was a sleeveless hoodie emblazoned with the text, “DRUGS”.
This sartorial paradigm shift came in the form of haute couture revival.“We need it!” Raf said in an interview with Vogue. “We need a new outline. I know I was part of it myself, but too many hoodies with prints! You know, something needs to shift.” The result was Duchesse satin suits gleaming in rich hues of emerald, baby blue, gold and fuschia, cut in generous proportions that referenced ’70s/’80s New Wave. Of course, Raf’s signature touches appeared throughout the collection, such as ragged knitwear, sweaters worn as scarves, doses of youth culture with photo prints of a The Clash concert, and punk accessories found in safety pin and stud accents. Rounding out the glam rock tone was an adidas footwear collaboration featuring hybrid Ozweego and Detroit Runner leather platform boots, as well as new Raf Simons x Eastpak bags.
Check out selected looks from the Raf Simons SS19 runway show above and follow our Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2019 coverage for the latest designer content.
