(Jun. 5, 2023 ● Oslin Pierrette)
I really appreciated Raf Simons tenure at Calvin Klein. He brought a tastefully refreshing collection to the brand. For me at least, he really revamped their brand in the fashion space.
This show was so sick. Raf killed this collection. This was one of the best takes on Americana in recent times, such a visceral collection. The silhouettes and proportions of these fits are masterful, extremely tasteful cuts. Where there was this strong sense of bravado. Lot of the looks were brought together nicely by those great rectangular toed shoes. I really love the materials that were used. It was amazing the way he played with the denim. Then there was this very satisfying rubber type material, also shiny PVC. Again, all around great material was utilized in this collection. Then one of the main aspects of this collection was the Warhol addition. Those were masterful graphic prints. I absolutely loved the placing of the prints. Americana and Warhol was just an amazing pairing for a classic collection.
Calvin Klein made an extreme mistake in not giving Raf enough time and respect. Maybe they prioritized sales over quality of product, but this collection clearly displays the fault in not being patient with innovation. Maybe 2018 wasn’t the time for the collection, but in retrospect this collection looks like it could’ve garnered a cult-like fanbase. With a lot of the looks he has created for his own brand ‘RAF SIMONS’ recently, to me it was an obvious mistake to bet against Raf.
These Warhol prints are insane. Tasteful use of color blocking, and wonderful placement of the prints. I really need that Pink + White set. It’s some amazing looking denim, high quality stuff.
I absolutely love the materials used in these pieces. I think these rubber and PVC looks are so satisfying to wear. High level statement pieces. I would love to get my hands on that pink rubber shirt. Again, I don’t know why they let Raf leave with pieces like these.
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Then the icing on the cake, these artistic pieces. These ensembles just look amazing. These flowery table cloth-like dresses. Perfectly paced prints, then with the scarf ties. I just really love these pieces.
This is probably my favorite Calvin Klein collection