Dior
designer Raf Simons has opened up on the moments that strongly inspired him to
move towards his dream of being a top designer. During his early career, Raf
was invited to shows by Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Martin Margiela, and he
says the experience of witnessing those two shows changed his outlook and made
him realize his desire to design. He explained that the collections made a huge
impact on him and he was in tears: "Margiela was the starting point.
I have asked myself repeatedly why I started in fashion, and it always came
down to the first show I saw: Martin's third collection, The White Collection.
Both [that and Gaultier's] show were so impactful, but so different; one more
emotional and the other a spectacle. I cried at Martin's show and I felt a bit
embarrassed; but half of the crowd were crying as well. I thought, 'Wow is that
fashion?' I want to do that."
He
adds that seeing those designs in real life made him realize the importance of
fashion and the potential it held, and even though he had so much work to do in
order to become a top designer at the time, he felt inspired: "That
was the moment I understood what fashion could be. I was so far away from being
properly involved in the industry then, it looked so out of reach, and yet I
thought, 'This is what I am going to do.' Although I didn't tell anyone. And
voila."
Raf
says his parents are extremely supportive of his design career and admits it
can be emotional for them to watch his pieces being presented: "My
mother and father are very proud of what I've done. My mother loves it at my
shows, she's always chatting to everybody backstage. And, quite coincidentally,
she has become good friends with Martin Margiela's mother. My father comes to
the shows, too, but we can never talk to each other afterwards, because we do
get very emotional together."
