Masculinity, Identity and Body Politics in the Interzone: A Queer Perspective on Raf Simons’s Critical Fashion Practices (1995–2005)

Abstract

Belgian designer Raf Simons is internationally known for his leadership in avant-garde menswear and his willingness to break with conventional perceptions of masculinity. Nevertheless, his intervention in this field has not been the subject of a thorough academic investigation to date. Focusing specifically on the revisioning of the male body and men’s fashion in Simons’s critical fashion practices, this article aims to offer an original reading of the designer’s work. Drawing on queer theory, I will theorize the image of the interzone, which has been dear to the designer’s modus operandi, as a queer trope that allows Simons to critically engage with masculinity, identity and body politics. By building a theoretical bridge between the fields of fashion studies and queer theory, the article seeks to expand the literature on Belgian fashion and the Antwerp fashion scene, providing a perspective on its relationship with masculinities, the body and queerness.

Keywords:

• Raf Simons
• interzone
• queer
• male body
• menswear

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank MoMu (Antwerp ModeMuseum), MoMu Library and Hasselt ModeMuseum for granting access to their archives and materials, and Floor De Meyer at Raf Simons for kindly allowing the reproduction of images.

Notes

1 https://rafsimons.com/about

2 Antifashion (2012), documentary directed by Olivier Nicklaus, produced by Arte France.

3 From Raf Simons spring/summer 2003 catalogue. Antwerp ModeMusuem.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO).

Notes on contributors

Nicola Brajato

Nicola Brajato is a PhD candidate in fashion and gender studies at the University of Antwerp funded by the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO). His current research aims to investigate the impact of Antwerp fashion in reshaping the idea of masculinity, the male body and menswear. [email protected]