PUNK’S NOT DEAD

Words

After 15 years, Raf Simons and Fred Perry are retiring their collaboration as the designer moves out of the frame. However, from the release of the first installment in their final collection, one thing is certain: they’re going out with a bang.

Fred Perry x Raf Simons has, over the past fifteen years, existed as a sort of contradiction. I mean this in the sense that, from a primal level, the collections have always been rooted in the raw, undiluted edge of classic punk, whilst at the same, for many people, becoming a comfortingly familiar presence in the fashion world. There’s contentment in the abrasive silhouettes and fabrics that Simons plucks from his fascination with uniforms. There’s peacefulness in the loud, bespoke graphics and abstract badges, patches. Sometimes, yes, there have been a few missteps, a few gawky garments that are best kept in the archives. However, it is undeniable that we have had the fortune of being privy to one of the most attuned collaborations in British fashion history, and, as it draws to a close in this final collection, we can see these years of work laid bare in a pristine homage to that Peter-Pan Punk spirit of both brands.

fredperry.com