In a time of political uncertainty, heads are turning to America as the first domino that fell in a chain of misfortune that seems to be spreading globally. Among those people is Raf Simons, who not only took inspiration from the USA but also moved his collection there for AW17 in preparation for his Calvin Klein debut. Topically, his ode to America wasn’t exactly all sunshine – while boys paraded down the runway in sweaters emblazoned with “I ♡ NY” slogans, they also wore t-shirts that read “horror” and “any way out of this”.

“By invoking naïve signifiers of New York City and cloaking them in clothes that felt strong and specific to his personal myth, Raf Simons heralded an arrival: a new chapter beginning for the brand that has defined more than a decade of menswear,” wrote Patrik Sandberg of the show, reporting for Dazed. Joshua Woods (who has turned his camera on everyone from Alexander Wang muses to Michele Lamy, and even a gang of gap-toothed models) captured the action backstage in a Super 8 short film that reflects the Big Apple-influenced show, with spliced in clips that are innately New York – think yellow cabs, the subway and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Check out the gallery above for backstage images from the show, and watch the full film below.

@joshuawoods