Raf Simons is back at Pitti Uomo. Having presented his first collection at the show in 2003, his own collection in 2005, and his first collection as creative director for Jil Sander in 2011, Raf presented his Spring/Summer 2017 men's collection at the 90th Pitti Immagine Uomo. The designer, who left Dior's creative helm last fall, presented his much-anticipated collection with mannequins displaying his own archives. His new Spring/Summer 2017 men's collection featured Robert Mapplethorpe's work printed on fabrics that overlapped with his own archives spanning 20 years. The generously proportioned shirts, coats, and knitwear were designed to be both structural and minimal, reaffirming his theme of "PRIDE IN INDIVIDUALITY" with an artistic flair in Florence.

The bottoms are mostly black, based on items printed with Mapplethorpe's black and white photographs of Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Willem de Kooning, and others. The red and cobalt blue colors that appear as the bridge of the collection, along with leather aprons, accent colors of brown, purple, and green, and checked and striped shirts, symbolize a rough and innocent "youth."

Text: Noda Tatsuya