Raf Simons’ drug-inspired collection hits the runway in a hazy new film

Continuing in his exploration of the many facets of youth culture, Raf Simons’ AW18 collection centred heavily around drugs. Weaving in and out of piles of fruit, vases of flowers, empty wine glasses and discarded crystal champagne flutes, the models wore t-shirts emblazoned with images of Christiane F. – the teenage heroin addict in the 1981 film of the same name – while elsewhere in the collection, references were made to Glenn O’Brien and Cookie Mueller’s play Drugs. The vibe was that of a debauched, drug-fuelled house party coming to its conclusion in the early hours of the morning; right about the time you’d be wise to be sorting out your Uber and heading home to bed to try to sleep off the comedown.

As with previous shows – including last season’s Blade Runner-esque Chinatown extravaganza and his Dior SS18 show, with its enormous wall of flowers – the Belgian designer handed production of the show over to Bureau Betak, as their creative studio Bureau Future and self-taught visual artist Alex Grove chronicled proceedings in a newly-released video. Set to a combination of upbeat orchestral music and pared-back techno snares (obvs – this is Raf, after all), the grainy clip serves to reinforce the collection’s hazy drug references as it trippily cuts around the set.

Watch the video above.

@bureaufuture