Raf Simons AW18 (All The Looks + Review)

On a chilly Wednesday evening, Raf Simons closed off New York Fashion Week Men’s with narcotic energy. At SIR Stage37, the raised runway dripped with excess courtesy of Mark Colle (there’s only one) and the exuberant arrangements he created using deep violet ranunculus, crimson carnations and languorous tulips contrasting with lemon peel bouquets. A bacchanalian botellón was spread out with copious amounts of wine and champagne, bread and cheese, chocolate and waffles, lasers and techno. Rivalling your favourite Frans Snyders still life, the scene was set for a dip into depravity.

We’re talking drugs. As for many Raf contemporaries, ingesting the “Christiane F. - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo” story chronicling the life of a young Berlin heroin addict and sex worker was a pivotal part of growing up. For this new collection dubbed “Youth In Motion”, the 1981 “Christiane F.” film by Uli Edel which Raf Simons was obsessed with at age 14 played a key role. Images from the film were stitched onto tees and trousers; harking back to the radical AW01 Raf Simons show (it’s eerie to see how little that collection has aged) which tacked Christiane F. film posters onto different pieces. Bridging the gap from teen drug addiction in Cold War-era Germany to the work of a New York icon, late writer Glenn O’Brien, were hoodies brandishing the word ‘DRUGS’ and patches proclaiming ‘XTC’, ‘GHB’, ‘LSD’ & ‘2C-B’ – evoking the eponymous tragicomic play O’Brien created with muse Cookie Mueller.

On – or up – the nose references like these provide breeding ground for division, with some bemoaning the apparent glorification of drug culture. It’s not a stretch to imagine these pieces being snapped up like ket-laced hotcakes by RS fans who think little of the matter, perhaps unpleasantly triggering those with substance abuse pasts or presents. Rave culture is a mainstay inspiration of Raf’s and drugs play an integral part in it. The designer’s proclaimed intent was neither to condone or condemn but "consider the persistent, almost ubiquitous presence of narcotics (prescribed or otherwise) within our society and acknowledge our often conflicted relationships with them.” The current opioid epidemic in the U.S. seems to bubble quite close to the surface here. Whether you approve or abhor, part of the proceeds of the collection will go towards organisations helping recovering addicts and the show’s food props were donated to the City Harvest charity.

Those looking not – or to a lesser extent – to alienate their parents can surely turn their focus to the strikingly elegant outerwear, with new silhouettes ranging from slim to bulky and sculptural, a range perfectly complimented by the gloss of the collection’s patent opera gloves and satin cargo trousers. Woolen jumpers came apart like front bib scarves and new collab Eastpak bags melted seamlessly ton-sur-ton into fine check prints while shades of petroleum, tangerine and cherry red added warmth and rich depth off-set by the sheen of calf-length lace-up snow boots. Pick your poison.