Kvadrat/Raf Simons launches second Shaker System Collection

Kvadrat/Raf Simons is launching the second collection of its game-changing Shaker system, an expanding family of lifestyle accessories that reset how we live and create beauty from order. Building on the Shaker concept and Collection 1, which focused on items for the living room and entry, Collection 2 ventures into the bathroom with bathrobes, towels, toiletry bags, slippers and clutches.

Kvadrat/Raf Simons store in Copenhagen with Collection 2 on display

Kvadrat/Raf Simons store in Copenhagen with Collection 2 on display

In creating the Shaker concept Raf Simons imagined a total habitat, a storage system based around the Shaker bar and a range of accessories honouring utility and function, rethinking materiality, and by reflecting those values bringing meaning and artistry to the home. Creating a system rather than individual products ensures harmony for the present and the future, supporting the idea of an open-ended family of accessories, those released so far and those to come.

Collection 2 consists of stylish slippers, multi-purpose clutches and Simons’ take on the perfect toiletry bag, crafted from Vidar 4. Simons has also gone deeper into exploring other materials selecting the highest quality terry cotton for bathrobes and generous beach towels, one has a signature Kvadrat/Raf Simons logo in the jacquard pattern the other has whipstitch detailing. The designer also sourced super soft cashmere with an artisanal rippled surface for double-face throws and cushions, reminiscent of his fashion collections with juxtaposed colours and sartorial detailing. Each textile is colour-matched to the Vidar 4 tones.

‘From the outset of this project I wanted the products to relate to each other, one way or another, and also to be bound together conceptually. With Collection 2 we are exploring products that are often forgotten from a design perspective, familiar and ubiquitous but not considered in relation to each other and definitely not in relation to how they could be positioned in the home. For instance, there is a really good toiletry bag, designed not as a single product but as part of the family of accessories. It seems like quite a project now and it’s a project that is supposed to always keep growing.’ Raf Simons

In planning the accessories collections Simons considered how people live, room by room, considering function and needs rather than pure aesthetics.

As Simons explains: ‘I was thinking a lot about how I live and how people that I know live. For example, I live in a modernist apartment in Antwerp and the bathroom and bedroom are kind of connected. If I don’t want my bathrobe around, I have to fold it and put it in a closet which, of course you don’t do. You come out of the bath, it’s half wet, you just want to hang it. If it is a beautiful bathrobe or towel and there’s a matching system to hang it on, then it’s a perfect composition of function and aesthetics’.

The foundation of the two collections is the Shaker system – a horizontal bar inspired by the Shaker peg rail. The bar can have a life of its own, sculptural in its proportions and precisely tailored, it feels artisanal rather than industrial. It defines a space, but also keeps order by providing a place to hang the accessories. The protagonist of the system is Vidar 4, the emblematic fabric of the Kvadrat/Raf Simons collection. Simons uses it to upholster the bar, taking cues from the French decorative arts designer Jacques Adnet who clad furniture in leather and made it his métier, for most of the accessories and to set the palette. Four signature colours were chosen – off-white, pink, green and black – each bringing a different expression or mood.

The Kvadrat/Raf Simons collaboration is founded upon Simons’ curiosity about pushing the boundaries of upholstery fabric, bringing a richer, more nuanced application of colour and texture to the interior. While living in the US, Simons developed a deep appreciation of the Shaker culture, whose ordered homes and simple functional furniture are considered the first modern American design. The Shaker culture gave rise to a way of living characterised by honesty and utility, which greatly influenced artists such as Donald Judd. In designing the bar, Simons was also inspired by the minimalist sculptures of John McCracken, who used colour intensity and surface finish as a means of expression.

The Shaker system is Raf Simons’ version of the now and the future informed by historical and classic references, setting a foundation for a new way of living. Technically innovative and produced to exacting standards, it exemplifies the shared values of the nine-year-long partnership Kvadrat/Raf Simons, and takes it into new territory, transcending categories with a singular vision.

‘I hope it’s inspiring for people who like to buy small objects with the same minds as when they buy a chair or something, you put it in the context of your environment. The whole idea of the system is to create some sort of harmony and order, that’s how we composed it but people can combine things however they want.’

In addition to the concept store in Copenhagen, the second collection will be launched with in-store installations at exclusive retailers, including Matches, Browns and Dover Street Market in Beijing, Ssense and 10 Corso Como in Milan.

The Kvadrat/Raf Simons Shaker system, Collections 1 and 2, comprises 26 items available in four signature colours. Collection 2 will be launched during Copenhagen Fashion Week on January 31, 2023.

EDITORS NOTES

For the complete overview and dealer information, please check shaker.kvadratrafsimons.com.
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ABOUT RAF SIMONS

Born in Belgium in 1968, Raf Simons studied industrial design in Genk. Inspired by the work of designers such as Martin Margiela, he moved to Antwerp, where the head of the Fashion Department at the city’s Royal Academy encouraged him to start his own label without further study. Launched in 1995, Raf Simons menswear – informed both by classic tailoring and youth culture – had a huge impact on the style of the decade.

In 2005 Simons became artistic director of the Jil Sander label, which under his tenure became known for its vital, sophisticated modernism. In 2012 he was named creative director of Dior Women, a position that he held until late in 2015. During his time as Chief Creative Officer of American fashion label Calvin Klein from 2016 to 2018, he has been awarded Designer of the Year 2017 for both his Menswear and Womenswear collections and for his Womenswear collection in 2018.

In April 2020 Simons joined the Prada brand as Co-Creative Director, working in partnership with Miuccia Prada.

A passionate collector of contemporary art and modern design, Simons’ aesthetic is often informed by his admiration for art and he regularly engages in interdisciplinary collaborations.