Raf Simons

If a designer had a choice of what the ideal monograph should look like, it would no doubt be Raf Simons.

This book singlehandedly raises the bar for all other titles of this ilk as the platinum standard. The mere physicality of the book is staggering as well as its superior reproduction quality and photography. It is quite literally the coffee table book at its most emblematic.

The text is offered via a series of articles and interviews extracted from i-D magazine and quite often one senses that there is a definite fawning quality in terms of their attitude toward the designer. While serving as a sort of timeline for the development of the designer and his body of work, one gets the distinct impression that this is mostly about his relatively new position as the Creative Director for the House of Dior.

Raf Simons can be approached on a subjective level as well as objective. If one is a fan of the designer, the book and its contents will cause you to squeal in delight. If one is not a fan, the reaction can only be to its content and quality.

This reviewer finds the designer slightly pretentious, way too serious, and yet very self assured when it comes to his capabilities. There is a bit of hubris here. Maybe he really needs to listen to what he saying rather than espousing all these high minded thoughts that fill his mind and fall from his lips.

The end result, no matter what, is that the book is quite amazing, and its inherent qualities will only be magnified if you are a Raf Simons devotee. If your interest is purely aesthetic, then the volume will certainly please on several levels.