When Raf Simons left Dior last October, the world was on its edge, curious to know what’s next for the Belgian designer and whether he would be taking on another creative director stint at another fashion house (some say Calvin Klein is a huge possibility). At the moment, the designer seems more interested to establish his namesake menswear label, which he launched over a decade ago in 2005. True enough, the designer will be presenting his Spring 2017 collection at Pitti Uomo, an international menswear tradeshow set to take place from June 14 to 17 in Florence, Italy. “Florence has a special place in my heart,” said Simons, who had only ever considered returning to Pitti Uomo to present his work, or other collaborative projects to reflect his personal vision. One example is his 2003 “The Fourth Sex” exhibition at the tradeshow – a curation with Francesco Bonami. “Simons has been protagonist of some of the greatest events realized [at] Pitti Immagine Uomo,” said Lapo Cianchi, Pitti Immagine communication and events director. “We like to think that he sees Florence as the ideal set to explore his professional and personal path, to find energy and inspiration for his future projects.”
