Raf Simons
Raf Simons
Raf Simonsis a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, he launched his own menswear label in 1995. In April 2012 he was announced as the creative director at Christian Dior. On October 22, 2015 he resigned from Christian Dior...
NationalityBelgian
ProfessionFashion Designer
Date of Birth12 January 1968
CityNeerpelt, Belgium
CountryBelgium
factory peter picked store work
One of the first things I picked up when I was very, very young out of a record store was work from Peter Saville - the early things he used to do for Factory Records.
changed designers hard literally people trash work
Antwerp literally was a trash hole, but fashion changed that. The designers there were extreme, and their work was hard to understand. But now, people from all over the world come to Antwerp to shop.
believe dialogue drive fear generation older power push somebody work
I am somebody who focuses on a dialogue between generations - that's the drive of my work. I believe the young generation take the power; they'll take over at one point, but the older generation, they'll push it away only because of the fear. I'm the opposite; I'm curious.
bigger society wants
Our society wants things to grow, and our society wants things to become bigger and bigger. Everything has to be put under the spotlight.
raised
I was raised in a very happy nest by very happy people, and I like to think that those are enough ingredients to make me succeed at Dior.
beauty certain love point
My point of view is that if I love a certain kind of beauty, I want more of that beauty. I don't need 200 different beauties.
chanel develop instantly spot
You can instantly spot a Chanel woman, so I want to develop the Dior woman.
attitude
I couldn't go now to a brand that had a niche attitude like... gothic. I couldn't do that. Well, I could do it, but I wouldn't find it interesting, challenging.
body constant design goes industrial relation whereas
As an industrial designer, you design the thing by yourself, and then it goes away from you, whereas fashion is in constant relation to the body and to psychology. It makes it more complicated, and it makes it more challenging.
berlin lots might move pass people spend state stay time
Berlin is in a state of transition. There are lots of people who don't stay here. They pass through. They might not 'clean up,' but they mature. It is a city where people spend a significant time in their lives, and then they move on.
hope people
Fashion is so mass-produced now; I hope there will come a refocus on how people see couture. And I would also hope for a new focus on the craft.
anywhere constantly free highway home jump life surrounded time
Every weekend, I'm on the highway to Antwerp. I need to be there, to have the calm. It's a whole different life: I jump on my bike, and it's so small, I can be anywhere in a minute. I like to be at home when there's free time because when you're at a big company, you're constantly surrounded by 30 people.
avoid computers instead museum open people picasso website
Computers let people avoid people, going out to explore. It's so different to just open a website instead of looking at a Picasso in a museum in Paris.
challenge dream wear women
My challenge is to find a beautiful balance: to make women beautiful, to make a woman dream to wear a beautiful outfit.