Raf Simons Visits London in the '80s for Latest Fred Perry Collaboration
Incorporating photography by Brian Flynn.
Raf Simons has continued his ongoing partnership with Fred Perry, reworking archive pieces from the British brand with references to his usual subcultural influences. Across these pieces, Simons has incorporated images by Brian Flynn, who captured images of nights out at the 100 Club across 1982 and 1983.
These images have been printed onto patches with raw edges that are sewn onto pieces such as hoodies, parkas and polos. As well as the stand-out polo — “a polo shirt is a polo shirt, but the Fred Perry polo shirt always brings a vibe of youth subculture,” says Simons of the collection — another key piece is the white blazer. Simons has added a punk influence to the piece, with phrases such as “Another Land” and “Time is on our side” appearing across the item.
Speaking about his photography that features in the collection, Brian Flynn explains where it came from. “I’d just left school and was training to be a builder. It was the first time I was earning money and I bought a camera to capture my nights out with friends. I’d put my film in to be processed before work at 8am and pick it up after work at 5pm, selecting the best ones for a photo album I still treasure today.”
The full Raf Simons x Fred Perry collection will release via the Fred Perry web store on May 13.
For more Fred Perry collaborations, take a look at the label’s recent project with Gorillaz.
