RAF SIMONS

Raf Simons is a Belgian designer, born in Neerpelt in 1968, who trained in industrial design and graduated in 1991. He began as a furniture designer, and before that interned at Walter Van Beirendonck's design studio. Encouraged by Linda Loppa, head of the fashion department at the Antwerp Royal Academy, he taught himself menswear and launched his own label in 1995. The collection is known for clean-cut clothing, androgynous silhouettes and the sportswear-influenced Runner sneakers. Simons has also led other houses, including Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein, and taught in Vienna. In his own words, he doesn't want to show clothes, but his attitude, past, present and future.