After 27 years, Raf Simons, the influential Belgian designer, is closing his namesake label.
Simons broke the news on his Instagram today, wiping out his entire grid except for a post with the announcement. "The Spring/Summer 2023 collection is the conclusion of an extraordinary 27-year journey and the final season of the Raf Simons fashion brand," it read.
"I lack the words to share how proud I am of all that we have achieved," the post continued. "I am grateful for the incredible support from my team, from my collaborators, from the press and buyers, from my friends and family, and from our devoted fans and loyal followers."
The post was marked with "Alda & Jacques," the names of his mother Alda Beckers, who worked as a housekeeper, and his father Jacques Simons, an army night watchman. He also marked the post with "Memory Wear" and "1995," the date of his first collection he presented in a showroom in Milan.
Spring 2023, his last collection, was shown in London during the Frieze art fair after he was forced to reschedule the show that was to take place initially during London Fashion Week but was postponed due to Queen Elizabeth II's death. The show was a massive rave situation with a long bar that turned into a runway packed with a hundreds of students, artists, designers and musicians.
Since launching his label in 1995, Simons has gone on to design for some of the biggest brands in the world, including Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein. Simons has not elaborated further on the reasons behind the closure. For now, he remains co-creative director of Prada and is expected to present their men's collection in January in Milan.
Photo via Getty