RAF SIMONS
Raf Simons is a Belgian fashion designer with a background in industrial design. Linda Loppa at The Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts helped him secure an internship with one of the famed Antwerp Six, Walter Van Beirendonck, and supported Simons in presenting his debut collection in 1995. Simons is known for his unconventional approach to showing his early collections using non-professional models in private art galleries and photo studios, first in Milan and later in Paris. His first “conventional” fashion show was held in Paris for his ‘97-‘98 Fall/Winter Collection. Simons finds inspiration in youth culture and found an early following with hip young Europeans which in turn influenced the designs of many other mainstream brands. In 2005, he was named the Creative Director of Jil Sander—a position he holds to this day—in addition to overlooking his own labels, Raf Simons and Raf by Raf Simons among others.