Raf Simons has been able to capture the essence of youth and so many different niche subcultures and shine a light on them without overpowering them or making them uncool, but actually bringing them more eyes and getting people interested in things they might not have discovered if it wasn’t for him. Incorporate graphic designers and artists who would not typically work on clothing such as Peter Saville or Peter De Potter. Simultaneously incorporating very American ideas such as college culture and American consumerism. Hence the choices of Summa Cum Laude (spring 2000) and Nebraska (fall 2002).

Joseph Quartana, founder of Seven New York

I’d love to name a favorite Raf look as someone who fearlessly sold his most conceptual pieces for 12 years at Seven New York. In addition to properly selling Raf from 2002, we also did his show in 2004 in the Marquee nightclub which has not yet opened… Anyway, it’s difficult, but I have to say my favorite Raf look (and his collection) was the fall 03, 12/13 look, his Peter Seville collection with that iconic Bauhaus logo on a skillfully handled leather bomber, on a machine knit Bauhaus sweater matching, with easy-fitting tailored pants and fabulous sandals (he was the ONLY one who could do mandals in a revolutionary, non-cheesy, non-Eurotrash way). I would seriously wear this NOW and think it for the money. This collection has sold so well at Seven that I have not taken many pieces from this collection, with great regret now. In fact, I actually sold each of the infamous “Unknown Pleasures” machine-knit sweaters before I could pick one up and in earnest to this day, I’ve scoured eBay for this piece to no avail. For me, this look/collection really sums up Raf and his aesthetic: teenage angst, high icons of new wave and post-punk era, freshly redesigned outerwear, a certain formality that was not rigid at all, and then of course the role model was Robbie Snelders, his Antwerp icon in the 2000s.