AUTUMN/WINTER 2003
Season Coverage
In the Autumn/Winter season of 2003, Raf Simons debuted his timeless "Closer" collection, channeling his youthful days through artwork created by graphic designer Peter Saville, intended initially for various identities aligned to the now-defunct Manchester-based record label "Factory Records." This collection is now known as "the ultimate pop culture collaboration." The majority of Saville's contribution to this collection pulled from his record sleeve work for Joy Division and New Order, which was released mostly in the early 80s. As Raf so accurately puts it, this' Closer' collection "reflects on the process of growing up and (re)considering adulthood." The impact of Peter Saville on Raf Simons is immeasurable, as the record sleeves designed by Saville shaped Simons formally and conceptually as a designer. The dismal lyrics of Ian Curtis accompanied by Saville's Neo-Classist imagery translated into Raf's work through consistent themes of isolation and angst. Raf's constant attachment to his youth days and his re-imagination of the youth culture around him is evident in his structural or formal materializations of the rave, punk and new-wave music scenes. Both designers explore the "Interzone," which is the in-between space between design and art, pop and modernism, and fashion and music. When asked to identify "Interzone," Simons stated: "I cannot define it. I have been trying to find out for two decades now, and I find myself ending up in 'Interzones' without knowing how to define it, but it is something that attracts me very much. [Saville and I] used to create that kind of space and moment to the world." This collection was the first of many collaborations between the two, as currently, Raf brought Saville's graphic techniques into both of his worlds at Calvin Klein last year, and in a collection under his mainline "Raf Simons" brand just a couple of months ago.
Written by Riley McCarthy
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