Happy New Year.

‘There is light through the tunnel, not just at the end.’ by Dan Thawley.

Antwerp, December 2009.

I found an almost literal translation of one of my favourite movies, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon), in an antique store yesterday, with dozens of beautiful green butterflies trapped midflight in a belljar. Maybe not a diving bell specifically. But a frozen moment of beauty nonetheless. The same isolation and static symbolism.

The sparrow is one of the most common birds around, yet it has flourished when other species have failed. It reflects self-worth. If a Sparrow totem has entered your life, ask yourself if you know your own self-worth. The sparrow will show you that even a common little bird can triumph.
The song sparrow reflects the chakra energy awakening from the heart and throat. It reminds us to sing out our own song of dignity and self-worth.” – Thank you Robbert for my special birthday sparrow.

Birthdays are an existential reminder. This one, heavier than most.

Thanks for the effort of many to make it lighter than i deemed it.

Pictured: a gift from yangli.eu an original Raf Simons SS02 campaign image. Thankyou.

This week has seen an exciting development at the house of Raf Simons here in Antwerp, with the launch of Raf’s website heralding a new digital age for the designer – who only this season began a series of print advertising in specifically-targeted  publications in fashion and design media.

The site is an elaborate maze of tiled, animated and video imagery, accompanied by the generation-defining sounds of Raf’s favourite music – from Belgian techno [think LFO] to Joy Division. A diary component shows fitting videos from SS10 and glimpses of a new collaboration with ceramic artist Sterling Ruby, and looks to be a constant platform for new material.

Aside from the more staid and expected site features such as his collaborations with Fred Perry and Linda Farrow, the Archive is certainly a standout – with a jolted, erratic useability that allows one to arrive at stark and beautiful images through a series of clicks on keywords, numbers and screens. With advice for your teen, mountain landscapes, rebellious youth imagery and all the trappings one may expect from Belgium’s rogue designer, the site is sure to keep us coming back for more – as it continues to develop into a dynamic driver for Raf’s global commercial presence into the future and a celebration of his not-so commercial past.

www.rafsimons.com