Please don't touch my Raf

During a long interview with Noah Johnson for GQ, Raf Simons speaks openly of new blood into the fashion world as Virgil Abloh (Off-White), Demna Gvasalia (Vetements) and Gosha Rubchinskiy, using the question as a springboard for a frank reflection on what brand are for him relevant to innovation and daring. Much did discuss an excerpt from this interview in which Raf Simons talks about Off White, stating the lack of real innovation in the design of the mark. What Simons meant by this statement is not so much a criticism of the style of Off-White as a reflection on the contribution of progress in the industry of high fashion and streetwear. With Off-White is a widely loved and innovative brands from different points of view, it has little to do with the avant-garde of the current landscape - like the aforementioned Demna Gvasalia and Gosha Rubchinsky - or Raf Simmons himself.

There are some designers now — and I’m thinking of Virgil Abloh at Off-White, Demna Gvasalia with Vetements, Gosha Rubchinskiy—who are connecting with the youth through fashion in a new way. Are there any young designers today that inspire or excite you?
Yes.

Anyone in particular?
Not Off-White. He’s a sweet guy. I like him a lot actually. But I’m inspired by people who bring something that I think has not been seen, that is original. It’s not always about being new-new because who is new-new? And of course you have to have people who inspired you. I’m not just trying to be politically correct here—trying to be nice and sweet about people because that’s what we’re always supposed to do when these questions come up in interviews—but honestly, are you asking me if I think that these people are inspired by my brand?

To remember is that the one with Simons is an interview that is different topics of broad spectrum and deep reflections on the fashion system. Raf Simons has declared in the same interview that the new youth of fashion for him are not new designers but the spectators who, through their interest in fashion and the creation of active conversations have transformed the world of high fashion and is in this context you position your chatted review of Virgil Abloh. Can we really criticize such a stance? Personalities such as Raf Simons are real enablers; their presence in the system is not only a source of inspiration but of critical reasoning, without them the fashion system exists. The same function of these personalities is to continually bring new limits to overcome and discover new to be discovered but too often during interviews is claimed by them to be "politically correct" worth the media pillory. It is indeed the case to criticize a behavior as fair and transparent as constructive criticism?