Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada
By Staff Writer, écoute moi
Just a few days after Miuccia Prada sent an outstanding collection down the runway at the label’s Fondazione in Milan, the legendary designer has announced that she is inviting a new designer into the fold: Raf Simons.
On the final day of the city’s AW20 fashion shows, Mrs. Prada called a press conference where details of the arrangement were revealed: Simons will join as co-creative director, and the two will work with equal responsibilities.
“The partnership, encompassing all creative facets of the Prada label, is born from a deep reciprocal respect and from an open conversation – it is a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties,” a statement read. “Conceptually, it is also a new approach to the very definition of creative direction for a fashion brand – a strong challenge to the idea of singularity of creative authorship… As times change, so should creativity.”
Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada
Whispers surrounding Simons’ appointment first began after Prada’s AW20 menswear show in January, as people took to social media to point out what they took to be references to the Belgian designer’s work.
Miuccia and Raf will send their first co-created collection down the runway as part of Milan Fashion Week’s SS21 season. Roll on September.
In a new announcement fresh from Milan, fashion designer Raf Simons will be joining Prada, as co-creative director of the label alongside the existing creative director, Miuccia Prada.
Simons’ role was later confirmed on Prada’s Instagram account, which stated that his new role will officially begin on April 2, 2020.
Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada
“From 2 April 2020, Raf Simons will join the Prada brand as co-creative director, working in partnership with Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making,” the Instagram post read.
“The first Prada collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will be the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020.”
The announcement comes after Simons took a brief sabbatical from work at fashion houses other than his own. Alongside his own eponymous brand, the Belgian designer has held various high-profile positions at major fashion houses in the past.
Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada
He famously worked as creative director of Jil Sander between 2005 and 2012, before heading the house of Christian Dior between 2012 and 2015.
He then moved to work as chief creative officer of Calvin Klein in 2016 (and launched CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC, a high-fashion variant of the brand), before departing after two years.
Ms. Prada, on the other hand, is known for heading up the historic Prada brand since the mid-1980s, eventually catapulting it to global fame. The announcement comes near the end of Milan Fashion Week autumn/winter ’20.