RAF SIMONS

Shipwreck Sweater
AW2004 "Waves”

 

DESCRIPTION

The poem is rendered in a distinctly loose handwriting style, printed with a thick layer of ink that contrasts the over-dyed grey silhouette. The poem is complemented by an equally unbalanced sketch underneath, depicting a human figure struggling against the ocean’s current. Shipwrecked on Strange Shores “LIFE IS, IN ITSELF AND FOREVER, SHIPWRECK. TO BE SHIPWRECKED IS NOT TO DROWN. THE POOR HUMAN BEING, FEELING HIMSELF SINKING INTO THE ABYSS, MOVES HIS ARMS TO KEEP AFLOAT. THIS MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS WHICH IS HIS REACTION AGAINST HIS OWN DESTRUCTION, IS CULTURE — A SWIMMING STROKE.” -Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1995)

CONDITION

8/10 condition. Please see photos for full evaluation.

SIZE / MEASUREMENTS

Size 46
Pit to Pit: 21 Inches
Length: 25 Inches
Sleeve Length: 26 Inches

COVERAGE

Raf is known for bringing conceptual narrative to the runway, and in regards to his 2004 “Waves” collection, Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset’s “Shipwrecked on Strange Shores” illustrates the foundation of the subcultures embodied through the collection. Although this poem out of context applies to humanity as a whole, these chosen subcultures had the underlying motive of self-fulfillment, achieved through isolation from a mainstream society.