Raf shuttering RS after 27 years is really interesting. The man build up a world within RS that leveraged subcultures and subversion to their absolute ends. So much of it I loved, so much of it was incredibly influential, but as our greater world of subcultures dissolved the impact that those worlds bring to a brand like RS evaporate. It’s in the subversion of the uniform, the subversion of the office, the school, the street, that has become commonplace much due large acceptance…
Joseph Keefer
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Grew up on harDCore// Fashion Consultant & Creative Director. https://JKeefer.co // #Arsenal AST member// https://runway360.cfda.com/designers/jkeefer
The customer is typically younger at this point and very sales trained. Without the adidas collab pumping S/T numbers for retailers or a fragrance business the RS business had two ways to go and he chose the more RS aligned way, closing. Thank you for them memories Raf Simons. #rafsimons #raf
He’s shown versatility but throughout he’s created in his lexicon. Raf transcended to the top organically. IMO the brand was at a breaking point. Either take on additional investment(absorbed into Prada) and blow up with mono brand RS stores in NYC, London, LA, Paris, etc, or revert into something smaller and more manageable. RS’s distribution was tight, the sales paltry for RTW…
…and fanhood of Raf or Heidi or Helmut or Martin. Raf manipulated ideas into high fashion menswear, ideas found in worlds that inspired him, Madchester in particular, American filmmaking, modern art, ideas that shaped him. It’s been beautiful to watch at times, others less so, but important and impactful throughout. Raf Simons as a label will remain an important trailblazer. An underground icon that made it to the biggest stages in our world, Dior, Prada, Jil, Calvin.