One of fashion’s greatest visionaries, Raf Simons has announced he’s returning to Florence to show his spring/summer 17 collection, as well as a special project he has developed for the occasion, the details of which are yet to be revealed.
“Florence holds a special place in my heart,” Simons says in a statement, “As, over the years, I have regularly come back to show my work or to collaborate on ventures that closely mirrored my thoughts about it. I am thrilled to be there again this season to present my spring/summer 17 collection as well as a special project we are developing especially for Pitti.”
This will be the Belgian designer’s fourth engagement with the Florentine menswear festival. In 2003, Simons collaborated with Francesco Bonami on The Fourth Sex, an exhibition and book, and held the 10th anniversary celebration for his own label in the city in 2005. Most recently, as Creative Director of Jil Sander, he presented the brand’s spring/summer 11 collection in the gardens of one of the city’s hillside villas.
As a place the designer has often returned to at pivotal moments in his career — to celebrate anniversaries, endings and new beginnings — it doesn’t take too much to imagine that the designer has something big planned for the Tuscan city, having only recently left his job as Creative Director of Dior and amidst rumors swirling around the industry as to what his next move will be.
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Text Felix Petty