Raf Simons is planning to close the doors of his label. Raf Simons, a groundbreaking menswear label founded in Belgium in 1995, is best known for its skinny silhouettes and progressive, fresh themes. The speculation states that Simons is closing shop due to a tough financial market – to focus on his role at Prada.

According to an Instagram post from Monday, Raf Simons explains that the brand’s upcoming Spring-Summer 2023, bring shown in London in October, is it’s last.

One of Fashion’s Finest

Raf Simons is one of the most modern fashion icons in recent history. Throughout the world, he dominates contemporary collections, of both men’s and womenswear. His celebrity clientele list includes superstars Rihanna, Emma Watson, and Charlize Theron.

Simons is one of the original “Antwerp Six,” a group of six graduates from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts; who travelled to London in 1986 for the British Designer Show – which predates London Fashion Week. Other members include Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and Walter Van Beirendonck – who are all recognised for putting Belgian fashion on the worldwide map.

The Spring/Summer 2023 collection is the conclusion of an extraordinary 27 year journey and the final season of the Raf Simons fashion brand.

I lack the words to share how proud I am of all that we have achieved. I am grateful for the incredible support from my team, from my collaborators, from the from the press and buyers, from my friends and family, and from our devoted fans and loyal followers.

Thank you all, for believing in our vision and for believing in me.

Forward always,
Raf

Simons rose to fame thanks to his eponymous label; helping him to land high-ranking jobs at Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein. In more recent times, he has worked alongside Prada’s controlling shareholder, Miucci Prada, as co-creative director.

So What Happened?

While the reason for the brand’s closure is unclear, the rumours speculate that it is potentially due to the fashion industry’s volatile financial market. There is also a suggestion that Simons plans to devote his full attention to his role as co-creative director at Prada.

Prada, 73, denies the decision was made in preparation for her eventual retirement at the time. At the time of his appointment in February 2020, Prada stated that Simons would have,

“equal responsibilities for creative input and decision making”.

Simons joins a long list of designers, including America’s Zac Posen; who closed his label in November 2019 after 20 years in business due to the financial impact of Covid-19. For his final show, has invited around 1,000 people; including fashion students, to his last exhibition at the south-east London club Printworks.

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