PARIS, JANUARY 20, 2016
ngu-ALEXANDER FURY
Lokhu uRaf Simons abekwenza ngemibukiso yakhe yemfashini kule minyaka emibili edlule kuyajabulisa. Ubelokhu ekhungathekile emikhawulweni yemboni, eyinselele imibono yakhe ngomsebenzi wakhe. Imvamisa indima yakhe njengomqondisi wezobuciko we-Christian Dior-uSimons ashiye phansi ngo-Okthoba, ngemuva kweminyaka emithathu nengxenye-iphonsele insizakalo yelebula yegama lakhe empumelelweni enkulu. Izithameli zakhe ezimile zazibonakala ziwukulalela ubuholi obuqinile bezihlalo zemfashini yendabuko; iqoqo elabelana ngekhredithi neciko langaleso sikhathi uSterling Ruby liphonsele inselelo umbono welebula lomklami.
Ngo-Fall 2016 u-Simons wakha i-labyrinth eyinkimbinkimbi yokhuni, njengochungechunge lwezindlela ezisontekile ezithathwe efilimini esabekayo, lapho izethameli zakhe zazizulazula, zilinde amamodeli ukuba avele. Lapho bephuma, batheleka ngendlela engafanele ezixukwini begqoke amajezi, amajazi namajakhethi amakhulu, labo bagasela izibukeli njengoba bedlula. Ingoma yayingewona umculo, kodwa kunalokho umqambi u-Angelo Badalamenti exoxa ngokubambisana kwakhe nomqondisi uDavid Lynch, usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa lwaqondana nohlelo lukaSimons.
Lokhu kokugcina kube ngokuqondana, kusho uSimons, kodwa kuguqule isethulo saba uhlobo oluthile lwe-ode kuLynch. Icindezelwe ngalezo zindonga, ibuka lezo zingubo, kwakubonakala sengathi i-Lynchian-leyo nhlanganisela eyinqaba ye-mundane kanye ne-macabre. U-Simons unikeze izihambeli amapheshana, kodwa esikhundleni sokuchaza iqoqo libe imisindo evilaphayo, bangezelele ngamabomu ekukhanyeni kwalo. Iphepha elishiwoyo lanyatheliswa ngohide lwamagama nemishwana ebalulekile, ebonakala sengathi inqanyuliwe. “Zonke izinto ezikulolu hlu bezisemqondweni wami,” kusho uSimons. “Ukungazami ukucabanga ngezindaba engingazenza. Ihlukene kakhulu.” Bekuhlanganisa inqwaba yabaculi (phakathi kwabo uLynch kanye noCindy Sherman), amagama athile ezindawo, izihloko zamamuvi, nezitatimende ezifihlekile ezifana nokuthi “The Boy Scout” noma “Red Americana / Flemish blue.”
U-Simons umise ukunyathelana okujwayelekile kwemibuzo ngemuva kwesiteji ngokuphefumulela phezulu. "Yonke into ikhona," esho, ngalolo lwazi olungacacile. Wase ebuza, ehleka, “Ingabe kufanele sikwenze lokhu manje? Ingabe unaso isikhathi kusasa? Nginesikhathi esiningi!”
Kuthiwani ngalokho ngemfashini eyinselele njengamanje?
Umbono oyinhloko kaSimons kule sizini kwakuyisikhathi—ukuwubuyisela emuva, eshadi indlela yawo, futhi athathe owakhe. Wayecabanga emuva eminyakeni engu-20 yengobo yakhe yomlando, futhi nakuba iqoqo lakhiwe ngesikhathi lisahambisana neshejuli ye-Dior (owayekade ezama ukuhambisana nayo iminyaka eyishumi, kuhlanganise neminyaka yakhe e-Jil Sander), amahora angenalutho amnikeze ithuba elingavamile neliyigugu lokungacabangi nje kuphela, kodwa aphinde acabangele. Wacabanga kakhulu, esho, ngoMartin Margiela—indoda, hhayi ilebula—indlela ahlela ngayo ukuphuma kwakhe endlini yakhe enegama elibikiwe, kanye nangomzimba wakhe onamandla womsebenzi.
USimons akahlukile—noma ayivelakancane—ekuthandeni kwakhe uMargiela ohlale ethandwa, ovame ukulingiswa. Kodwa ukukhuluma kwakhe okucacile kukaMargiela njengesithenjwa kuyaphawuleka ngenxa yezizathu eziningi. Okokuqala, ngoba abaklami abaningi ngokwemvelo bebengakugwema ukuhlonipha umuntu obaluleke kakhulu kwimfashini yesimanje. Okwesibili, ngenxa yokuthi iqoqo lalinjalo i-Margiela, ekucindezelekeni kwayo, ukugqokwa kwayo okuphawulekayo, ama-sweaters e-XXL-scale namajazi ashelelayo futhi ashibilika esitokisini-iphuzu elakhulisa kuphela elokuqala. Ngokuvamile, ulindele ukuthi abaklami bagqoke inhlonipho evulekile enjalo. Okwesithathu, ngoba kugcizelele ukuthi, empeleni, uSimons ubelokhu elandela ezinyathelweni zikaMargiela-toed — phambilini wathi kwakungumbukiso kaMargiela owavusa intshisekelo yakhe yokungena embonini. Kwakuwumbukiso uSimons ngokwakhe amemezele ukuthi awubukeki njengombukiso wemfashini. Kodwa kwakumayelana nendlela engangizizwa ngayo—into enenjongo, evela enhliziyweni ebonisa, lelo qoqo.”
Njengoba nje imibukiso kaSimons nayo ingafani nemibukiso yemfashini, iphinde ivuse impendulo efanayo eyinkimbinkimbi yemizwa: Ihlale imangalisa, isuka enhliziyweni. Izingubo lapha beziwubudlabha, zinganakekeli, zidabukile futhi zihlanganiswe ndawonye, njengokufanekisa ukuhamba kwezinkumbulo. Kwakukhona umfaniswano we-Boy Scout, owawuvuthwa waba amajezi esikole samabanga aphakeme, anamathiselwe ngokungahleliwe izinhlamvu ezingasho lutho—umlando ongeyena umuntu, thina izibukeli esasingenalwazi ngawo. Amamodeli amafushane noma afushanisiwe aye phezulu, amabhulukwe ansundu futhi afinyezwe abe mfushane eqakaleni, lezi zazibonakala njengezingubo ezizokhuliswa zibe, noma esezikhulile kakade, izingubo ezimelela ukuhamba kwesikhathi okushiwo. Izingubo ezingakhululekile. Lolo hlu olubaluleke kakhulu epheshaneni luhlanganisa amaqoqo amane akwa-Simons, asekuqaleni kwawo-2000, izingqimba zawo ezinanelwe nezineziqephu zazinanela kulezi zingubo ezidabukile, ezinezimbobo zamabhu, ezigcwele inkumbulo.
USimons ubize iqoqo ngokuthi Amaphupho Asebusuku Namaphupho. “Ngihlale ngithanda ukudala izinto ezinhle,” esho, “kodwa kuyathakazelisa uma kukhona okuxakile, okuthile kumnyama. Kukhona okungahambi kahle.” Yena ngokwakhe ubengenzi isitatimende esibanzi nesishanelayo emphakathini. Kunalokho, uSimons wayezigoqe kuye, emhlabeni wakhe siqu, emaphusheni akhe namaphupho amabi, ukubuka inkaba kwentsha sonke esisenhliziyweni yethu. Kulula ukubona lokho njengempendulo eqondile yokususa ubunikazi bukaChristian Dior, ukubuyisela uSimons njengomuntu wakhe. Kodwa yinto ayenze ngokuphindaphindiwe, ngamaqoqo amaningi, ngempumelelo engaka. Ukuthi u-Raf Simons angaqhubeka eveza umhlaba wakhe ngaphandle, futhi adonse abaningi, amlengise phezulu ngama-auteurs afana no-Lynch, nabaculi abafana no-Sherman. Abaluki bamaphupho.