Raf Simons and Veronique Branquinho share a closely interwoven history, a story kept out of the limelight of fashion. Riding past on her bicycle one day, Veronique first met Raf in Antwerp with Olivier Rizzo (now one of the world’s most celebrated stylists). Raf asked Veronique to be a part of an 8mm film project he was working on, and in this way they began their relationship that has evolved now into a lifelong friendship, the two parting ways but with an undeniable link remaining that talks of beginnings, their youth and shared memories. For A#6, Raf has contributed careful words that hark back to these memories and illicit a quiet dialogue between the two designers – sharing their story yet in such an abstract way that it still remains so personal to them. Accompanied by an illustration by Francis, of a young Veronique and Raf, he has alluded to eight references:

Pin Cushion Queen

Togo

Picnic at Hanging Rock

White Christmas Tree

Pepsi Max

Stick Boy & Match Girl

Candle

John Currin

Some references are explicit enough, such as the two Tim Burton stories of the ‘Pin Cushion Queen’ and ‘Stick Boy and Match Girl’, and John Currin – the satirical American painter whose style echoes renaissance oils yet with a somewhat twisted and sexual contemporary context. Other references however are a little less obvious, such as ‘Pepsi Max’ and ‘White Christmas Tree’ – these are stories that may not be told by me or you, but best left to Raf himself to explain.