Spring 1998 was Raf Simons’s sixth collection—and second-ever runway show. In three years he had established himself as the buzzing Belgian talent of the Paris menswear schedule. Titled “Black Palms,” the collection was presented in a parking garage in Paris’s Bastille neighborhood to the loud sounds of Lords of Acid, Permanent Fatal Error, Reese & Santonio, and A Split-Second. The models were carted in from around Europe; Simons would put out radio ads looking for lean youths—most not professional catwalkers, and most bearing some resemblance to Simons’s own image or that of his friends: rangy and ready for action. The silhouette of the show, too, was inspired by the designer’s own. Simons once described his wardrobe of the era as “black outfits; long, skinny; white Stan Smiths.” That was echoed in the elongated inky pieces on the runway.
The message was clear from the show’s opening looks: Lithe to the point of concave teenage models in low-rise, loose black trousers paced the runway, talismanic crystals slung around their necks on silver chains, and symbols painted on their shirtless bodies. Fellow Belgian artist Franky Claeys designed a series of graphics for the collection, the most famous of which is a pair of black palm trees that artist Jos Brands painted onto the first model’s back. Another duo later on in the procession wore trompe l’oeil shirts painted on by Brands, one an anarchy symbol against white, the other the Sex Pistols’s Never Mind the Bollocks album cover in black. When the boys were wearing tangible clothes, they were engulfed by loose knits that hung down to their fingertips and wide-sleeved black blazers layered over graphic tees or slashed jersey tank tops. Pants always buckled at the ankle and shoes were always black, dirty sneakers.
With over 60 looks, “Black Palms” remains one of Simon's' lengthiest shows—and one of his most diverse. While the punk graphics and palm trees are still remembered to this day, the middle of the show saw a preppy pastel pink V-neck, a rainbow snakeskin print tank, and some knee-length jean cutoffs. To date, they’re one of only two times denim ever appeared in a Raf Simons runway show.
