Youth Culture Through Raf Simons Patches

In SS20 ‚My Own Private Antwerp’ Collection Raf Simons continues to relive the years of his youth, he pays tribute to places he grew up and evolved in while demonizing the others, all smoothly delivered through one of his favorite garment elements: yet again he made colorful patches with slogans and simple graphic designs an important part of his collection and it doesn’t seem like he plans on stopping manifesting his mindset through textual graphics anytime soon. 

 To name just a few, we see shorts with a ‚My Own Private Antwerp’ patch on the leg, alluding to Number (N)ine AW08 ‚My Own Private Portland’ Collection. Having graduated from the Fashion Department of the Antwerp Royal Academy, Raf’s had a soft spot for the city and consistently reminisced about it. There’s also a knitted sweater with a patch that says ‚STONE(D) AMERICA’, expressing Simons aversion to the United States along with the  voice in the show’s soundtrack chanting „Big lie...media America, corporate America...fascist America.” It is not the first time that Belgian designer has expressed his feelings about America, especially under Trump’s authority.  

In his SS03 ‚Consumed’ Collection Raf took the patch vision to a whole new level, overprinting them with popular brand logos like Canon and PlayStation 2. “Today’s living environment is about consuming as well as being consumed; some suggest this could lead to an apocalyptic end, while others, particularly younger generations, take this reality as their cue to create new, more viable and flexible personas”, said the show note.

 One of the greatest and most popularized Raf Simons’ collection, Fall/Winter 2018, is inspired by Christiane F. and troubled youth of 70s Germany. Yet again, designer covered garments like pants or jackets with patches that read names of different drugs. Depicting the reality of respresentatives of his own generation, Simons changed the brand’s course a little to show off a slightly darker vibe than a few of his previous collections.

Written by Julia Siechowicz

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