This story originally appeared in i-D’s Rafzine which is available with every purchase of The Timeless Issue, no. 371, Spring 2023. Order your copy here.
For Spring 2023 i-D collaborated with photographer Willy Vanderperre and stylist Olivier Rizzo on a special Rafzine, a separate publishing project within The Timeless Issue, celebrating the legacy of Raf Simons as he shutters his namesake label after almost thirty years of groundbreaking and era-defining work, and following i-D collaborating with him on his final show in London in October 2022.
Across those years – and in his work at Jil Sander, Christian Dior, Calvin Klein and Prada – Willy and Olivier have remained collaborators, friends and confidants of Raf. To celebrate the legacy of his label, Willy and Olivier delve into their personal archive of Raf clothing, including prototypes, show pieces and garments that never entered into mass production, providing an intimate look at their careers together, then laid out alongside images Willy and Olivier have shot of Raf’s work in the pages of i-D over the years.
Joseph wears wool sleeveless jacket, cotton sleeveless shirt, wool tie Autumn/Winter 1998-1999, wool vest Autumn/Winter 1995-1996, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
It is a complement to a larger feature in the main section of the magazine, shot behind the scenes at Raf’s final show in London, in September, by Nick Waplington, and with an editorial, shot in New York, by Mario Sorrenti. Accompanying this is a conversation between Raf and two his former apprentices, Matthieu Blazy, now head of Bottega Veneta, and Pieter Mulier, now head of Alaïa, speaking together for the first time about their shared history. And concluding a trilogy of Raf Simons features over the last years, that began with Raf, Willy and Olivier speaking on the record together for the first time too, as Raf joined Prada.
Rafzine is a special edition, separate zine, printed on newsprint, attached to the main section of the magazine.
The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001.
(left) Jannick wears cotton vest, cotton trousers Spring/Summer 1998, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) The Dynamic Issue, No.194, February 2000.
(left) Fien wears cotton sweatshirt, cotton shirt, wool trousers, wool tie Autumn/Winter 2000-2001, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) Arne wears cotton sleeveless t-shirt Autumn/Winter 1996-1997, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) Chekn wears wool school-boy blazer, cotton sweatshirt, cotton shirt, wool trousers, wool tie Autumn/Winter 1997-1998, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) Xander wears wool cardigan, wool trousers Autumn/Winter 1995-1996, cotton jacquard shirt Spring/Summer 1996-1997, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) The Post Truth Truth Issue, No. 357, Fall 2019. (right) The Dynamic Issue, No.194, February 2000.
(left) The Post Truth Truth Issue, No. 357, Fall 2019. (right) The Audible Issue, No.189, August 1999.
(left) The Audible Issue, No.189, August 1999. (right) The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001.
The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001.
(left) Max wears cotton vest Spring/Summer 2000, cotton jogging pants Spring/Summer 1998, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) Nicola wears cotton jacquard shirt, wool trousers Spring/Summer 1996-1997, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) The Creative Collaborators Issue, No. 327, Fall 2013. (right) Jonathan wears cotton sleeveless t-shirt Spring/Summer 2000, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001. (right) The Dynamic Issue, No.194, February 2000.
(left) The Dynamic Issue, No.194, February 2000. (right) Arne wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of sleeveless students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, cotton sleeveless t-shirt Autumn/Winter 1996-1997, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) Jannick wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, cotton vest, cotton trousers Spring/Summer 1998, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) Chekn wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, wool school- boy blazer, cotton sweatshirt, cotton shirt, wool trousers, wool tie Autumn/Winter 1997-1998, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) Luca wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, leather perfecto, wool jumper, cotton shirt, wool trousers, wool tie Autumn/Winter 1997-1998, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive. (right) Fien wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, cotton sweatshirt, cotton shirt, wool trousers, wool tie Autumn/Winter 2000-2001, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left) The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001. (right) Jonathan wears cotton hand-scribbled prototype of sleeveless students lab-coat Autumn/Winter 2015-2016, cotton sleeveless t-shirt Spring/Summer 2000, original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
(left and right) The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001.
(left) The Inspiration Issue, No. 206, February 2001. (right) Joseph wears wool sleeveless jacket, cotton sleeveless shirt, wool tie Autumn/Winter 1998-1999, wool vest Autumn/Winter 1995-1996, all original RAF SIMONS from photographers and stylists own archive.
Credits
Photography Willy Vanderperre Fashion Olivier Rizzo Hair Anthony Turner at Streeters Make-up Hannah Murray at Art + Commerce Nail technician Anastasia Feokistoff Lighting technician Romain Dubus Digital operator Henri Coutant Photography assistance Jordan Esser Fashion assistance Niccolo Torelli, Emmanuelle Bastiaenssen, Edgar Van Den Heede and Ginger Bogaert Hair assistance John Allan Make-up assistance Jill Joujon Producer to Willy Vanderperre Lotte Mostert Production MINDBOX Producer Isabelle Verreyke Production assistance Liv Lismonde and Charlotte Dupont Special thanks to Stéphane Virlogeux Casting director Samuel Ellis Scheinman for DMCASTING Casting assistance Alexandra Antonova, Brandon Contreras and Maddalena Serra Models Jannick Michael Plätzer, Jonathan Frederik Schroff, Luca Maurice Meyer and Max Hermann Peters at Tomorrow Is Another Day, Xander Verlinden at Run Model Management, Joseph Uyttenhove at Lis Rutten Agency, Chekné Doucouré at Noah MGMT, Arne Valaert at The Eye MGMT, Nicola Macchi at Success Models and Fien Janssens at Rapture Management
