This weekend came some exciting news for the fans of Raf Simons, a Belgian designer with a cult following who previously worked for brands like Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein (which he exited quite abruptly in December 2018.) The creative will now be joining the Italian luxury fashion house of Prada, sharing responsibilities for creative decision-making with Miuccia Prada herself.

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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 first Prada collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will be the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020. Discover more via link in bio. Photos by: Brigitte Lacombe Willy Vanderperre

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The announcement came during a secretive conference for select press that took place at the label’s headquarters just two days after Prada presented her last solo show for the brand. The rumors were circling around the industry prior to the official announcement.

“Prada is a brand that I have been interested in my whole life. I cannot wait to express to all of you the dialogue I will have with Mrs. Prada and her team,” Simons shared at the gathering. “To be really honest, Mr. Bertelli approached me right after my exit from Calvin Klein,” he continued. “Miuccia and I had a conversation about creativity in today’s fashion system. And it brought me to open dialogue with many designers, not just Mrs. Prada. We have to re-look at how creativity can evolve in today’s fashion system.”

Given that Simons already has already developed a relationship with the Prada Group (Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli hired him was a creative director of Jil Sander in 2005), so the two will be connecting at not just a professional but also a human level. It’s interesting to see where the duo will take the iconic luxury brand: Prada has never been a fan of collaborations while Simons is all for exchanging ideas and having an open dialogue with other artists and brands. Both designers have some of the most inspiring shows, clothes, soundtracks, ideas and imagery of the past few decades in their back pocket, and the fact that now the two join forces to reinvent Prada translated into an exciting future for the brand and fashion industry as a whole.

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BREAKING | Today at a secretly announced press conference at the end of #MilanFashionWeek Prada S.P.A. announced that Raf Simons is joining the house of Prada. The Belgian designer will take up the role of co-creative director, working alongside Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative decision-making, an unconventional configuration. The appointment is effective April 2nd. Their first show as co-creative directors will be Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear, presented in Milan next September. Read the full story on businessoffashion.com [link in bio]

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