Interview

Raf Simons: Snake Charmer
 
Raf Simons is on an ascending curve.  Word on the street is that he now wants to make elegant clothes for men with means, and boy he's not kidding. New this season is RSSR (Raf Simons Sterling Ruby) a select denim range  covered with artfully bleached blotches handmade by Ruby, the Los Angeles-based artist who is primarily known as a sculptor. There's also an upscale collection of bespoke tailoring and for the first time, underwear. Raf also continues with two co-branding collections begun recently: polos for Fred Perry and footwear for Doc Martens.
 
But the real news for spring is the snakes slithering all over everything from snakehead brass belt buckles to slithering snake print canvas jeans. Even the white car shoes—and apparently he never liked them before now—feature a mass of dark leather snake coils which curl from the uppers to congregate on the sole.
 
Simons has always dreamed big and one of those dreams is to take tailoring to a new level. His latest method is to combine bespoke techniques, like hand stitched lapels, with technical construction, as in thin fabrics fused with polyurethane, for a stiff, standout shape. So even a sweatshirt, like his new one in  raw edged, blush pink Japanese jersey, is bonded, giving it just enough stiffness to transform Clark Kent into Superman.