Since Raf Simons took over at Calvin Klein earlier this year, he has been obsessed with the idea of Americana. Not just white picket fences though, his vision has had a darker and more twisted approach.
For the recent SS18 collection, that manifested in the form of a Sterling Ruby-designed set with axes hanging from the ceiling, a footwear reference to Friday the 13th and a collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation. Today, the American brand has announced that it will be continuing the collaboration with the iconic artist’s Foundation until 2020.
While Simons first referenced Warhol back in his debut campaign – which also featured the work of Richard Prince and Ruby – the most recent outing saw archive prints like “Knives”, “The Ambulance Disaster” and “The Electric Chair” printed on shirts, bags and dresses. While you might think of the artist’s famous Campbell’s soup or Marilyn Monroe works at first, the Belgian designer chose to spotlight some of Warhol’s darker pieces instead.
Following the show, creative director Pieter Mulier teased on Instagram that there would be more to come with a picture of a Warhol print tee. “He captured all sides of the American experience, including sometimes its darker sides,” said Simons on the artist’s work. “Warhol’s art tells more truths about his country than you can find almost anywhere else.” While the Foundation has previously collaborated with Comme des Garçons and Dior, the new partnership is the biggest yet and will see Simons debut previously unseen works – just another reason to look forward to the AW18 collection next February.
