Kvadrat/Raf Simons is launching the second collection of its Shaker System collection, 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.
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.
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.
About Kvadrat
Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 and has deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition. A leader in design innovation, Kvadrat produces quality contemporary textiles and textile-related products for architects, designers and private consumers across the world.
Our products reflect our commitment to colour, quality, simplicity and innovation. We consistently push the aesthetic, technological and functional properties of textiles. In doing so, we collaborate with leading designers, architects and artists, including Miriam Bäckström, Raf Simons, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Alfredo Häberli, Akira Minagawa, Peter Saville, Roman Signer, Doshi Levien and Patricia Urquiola.
