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Fashion January 21, 2019
By Snobette
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Fashion

Raf Simons Archivist David Casavant Selects Five 305W39NYC Items Worth Collecting

calvin-klein-berkley-crewneck-knitwear-sweater-305W39NYC-1

January 21, 2019. Leave a Comment

The fashion world had a neck break moment last month when PVH Corp. announced it was pulling the plug on Raf Simons as the creative director for subsidiary brand Calvin Klein. The company announced plans for a complete reset including a name change for the Simons-created Calvin Klein 305W39NYC, a luxury priced sub-brand.

As a highly-regarded designer, Simons boasts multiple collections and pieces that are viewed as highly covetable among vintage clothing aficionados. To get an expert view on Simons’ time at Calvin Klein and his place in design history, we check in with New York-based stylist David Casavant, who manages an archive of menswear pieces mainly comprised of pieces by Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane and Helmut Lang.  Casavants loans pieces for editorial shoots and events with pieces from his archive worn by king tastemasters including Kanye West, Rihanna and Pharrel, among others.

In the email exchange below. Casavant weighed in on the Calvin Klein/Simons falling out and finished with a list of the five pieces from his final season worth purchasing before the label disappears forever.

Berkely crewneck sweater

Snobette: Raf Simons launched his eponymous label in 1995 and thus has been designing for close to 25 years. Is there a particular time period, label or collaboration that’s viewed as significantly more covetable from the perspective of collectors? What is your favorite period?
Casavant
: “The early ’00s Raf Simons collections probably have the pieces that cost the most. I love that period but also love around 2008-2012.”

calvin-klein-double-breasted-coat-curve-sleeves-305W39NYC
Double-breasted coat with curve sleeves

Snobette: When did you begin collecting Simons’ designs and what are your favorite pieces by him that you own?
Casavant
: “I began collecting when I was 13 or 14, so this was around 2004. I have some things like a big banner sign and a blanket, which aren’t necessarily clothes, but I think are cool.”

Snobette: What are your Simons’ grails?
Casavant
: “Probably the bomber jackets and parkas from around 2000-2003 are what are considered his biggest grails.”

Snobette: Simons famously griped about Virgil Abloh in a 2017 GQ interview. Given Abloh’s trajectory since that interview, do you view Simons’ statements as misplaced or ones he should have kept to himself?
Casavant
: “I don’t remember exactly what he was said, but I think he should be able to express himself. If he wasn’t into what Virgil was doing at the time he can feel that way and if anything maybe it helped drive Virgil further. If you don’t take criticism to heart it can help drive you forward.”

Sleeping bag sleeveless parka

Snobette: Simons was brought onto PVH subsidiary Calvin Klein in August 2016. What was your reaction to the news?
Casavant
: “I was excited to see what was going to go down. I actually also liked Calvin before. I liked what Italo Zucchelli did with the men’s as well as Francisco Costa with the women’s so it was sad to see that end but I was also was excited to see the next chapter.”

Snobette: What has been your view of Calvin Klein 305W39NYC?
Casavant
: “I don’t think it got enough time to be fully fleshed out. It’s really supposed to be the incubator for the ideas to ripple out into Calvin’s more commercial offerings, but I’m not sure enough time was allowed for that to really happen.”

Strike 205 sneaker

Snobette: PVH has made some very harsh comments about Simons spending and the lack of demand for his designs. Simons has stayed quiet. Why do you think Calvin Klein and Simons didn’t click?
Casavant
: “I don’t know if we really know what went down but in my experience in the current climate there isn’t enough respect towards artists and to new ideas. We are in a time where corporate people are scared and that can enforce harsh limits on creative people that can also end up stifling a brand.”

Snobette: Did Calvin Klein pull the plug too soon?
Casavant
: “It’s hard to say. A giant global brand needs years to really re-establish a new viewpoint. Also the world turned into South Park with the political climate, etc. right after he started there so that throws another wrench into the equation.”

Cowboy hat

 

Accessories Fashion Shop Sneakers Calvin Klein Raf Simons

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Let's set the record straight on this fine Monday! Let's set the record straight on this fine Monday! The borough with flyest individuals is?

Brooklyn all day, then BX and Harlem. Not sure how Queens entered the chat. No shade. 

Come with receipts if you disagree 😎

📹 mysteryfashionist
Founded in 2016 by Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tord Founded in 2016 by Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, The Attico hosted its first runway show on Saturday, on a Milanese street in the Arco della Pace neighborhood. 

Ambrosio and Tordini see the street as the most democratic of spaces, where life happens and fashion truly comes alive. In press with WWD Tordini shared, "We didn’t work over the past seven years thinking about how one day we would have hosted a runway show. That was never our priority, we worked to build the company."

Oozing of a certain cool, the brand is beloved by many fashion creatives, as Vogue noted attendees included Ferragamo’s Maximilian Davis, Gucci’s Sabato De Sarno, Jerry Lorenzo, Moncler CEO Remo Ruffini and DSquared designers Dean and Dan Caten, to name a few.
Designer Sabato de Sarno's debut Gucci collection. Designer Sabato de Sarno's debut Gucci collection. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 🔥🔥🔥 how would you rate it?
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She said until she developed "range," she didn't hear from any brands other than Fashion Nova."

To her point, JT is fresh off of a stunning campaign for Beats by Dre x Mowalola.
Fall textures for #Yaito's upcoming bag dropping t Fall textures for #Yaito's upcoming bag dropping this Friday September, 22nd at 12 PM EST on carltonyaito.com.
Timberland x #NinaChanelAbney's collaboration drop Timberland x #NinaChanelAbney's collaboration dropped earlier this week, featuring apparel and two boot silhouettes: the '78 hiker and the 6-inch wheat remixed with a leather overlay.

The cardigan above is the piece! 

Available on timberland.com.
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