In a delirious triumph of artistic symbiosis, the American artist Sterling Ruby joined forces with Raf Simons for an electric menswear show for A/W14 that combined their fundamental anarchies in a collection bursting with violent and colourful promise. As an avid collector of Ruby's work and a firm friend, Simons levelled the postmodern playing field like never before in this 50/50 collaboration that saw his archetypal silhouettes become a new canvas for emotional expression. In an acid rainbow of cropped or cocooning parkas, sweatshirts and bleached denim (teetering on Buffalo-style biohazard boots) Ruby's graphic and typographic icons appeared in myriad appliqués - from urgent, striped collages to lettered bomber cuffs. Words like 'Fathers' appeared in a tribute to their own parents (both ex-military men) and 'Crypt' returned from Ruby's previous works, while 'Abus Lang' abbreviated 'abusive language'. Packaged as either art or fashion, the garments felt accessible and seductive, while the set design arched above us all, in four spongy gateways of stars and stripes - a nod to Ruby's Vampire series and his largest soft works to date.
Photography: Anna Stokland/Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
'Refined, serene, provocative': inside the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025We visit the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, open from now until the end of May, and explore a nimble curation that juxtaposes the ancient and the contemporary
-
Mushroom beta-glucans are a hero ingredient for French skincare brand VerdoieMushroom beta-glucans are new French skincare and supplement brand Verdoie’s hero ingredient. Laura Feinstein speaks to its founder Sonia Gaillis-Delepine to find out why
-
Bulgari’s new exhibition pays homage to the snake in culture, art and jewelleryThe high jewellery maison celebrates the Chinese zodiac in ‘Serpenti Infinito’, a Shanghai exhibition that traces how the symbol of the serpent has manifested throughout history
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France FemmesMarking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu MiuIn this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear showsFrom giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons rove the digital realm for S/S 2021‘Technology is a part of humanity itself’ said the duo of their live streamed S/S 2021 show
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s -
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's -
Sacai A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
