Introduction:
Raf Simons is currently co-creative director at Prada, a role he's held alongside Miuccia Prada since 2020. His own namesake label closed in 2022, but his design career never actually stopped.
Where the Raf Simons T-shirts Legacy Started
Before getting to where he is now, it helps to know where this all began. Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995 after training in industrial design, not fashion, which is part of what made his early perspective so distinct. His early runway work, and the archival Raf Simons t-shirts and pieces that came out of it, built a reputation around subverted tailoring, youth culture references, and exaggerated proportions ideas that would go on to influence fashion for decades.
The Full Career Timeline
Here's the complete path, in order:
1995–2022: His own namesake label. Simons ran his independent brand for 27 years, building the reputation that eventually led to top creative roles at major fashion houses while still maintaining his own line.
2005–2012: Jil Sander. He served as creative director here, running his own label simultaneously, a demanding stretch many industry voices consider one of his strongest overall tenures.
2012–2015: Christian Dior. Simons became artistic director at Dior, introducing his first haute couture collection in 2012 and bringing a modern sensibility to one of fashion's most historic houses.
2016–2018: Calvin Klein. He took over as chief creative officer, overseeing menswear, womenswear, and the brand's overall creative direction during a high-profile, closely watched tenure.
2020–present: Prada. Simons joined as co-creative director alongside Miuccia Prada, becoming the first designer hired from outside the Prada family in the house's history.
2022: His own label closes. After 27 years, Simons closed his namesake brand, with Spring/Summer 2023 as its final collection, while continuing his role at Prada uninterrupted.
Why a Raf Simons Hoodie Silhouette Still Shows Up at Prada
The proportion-driven design language Simons built his reputation on — the oversized, drop-shoulder cut people now search for as a Raf Simons hoodie — hasn't disappeared just because his own label closed. That same design instinct continues to show up in his work at Prada, where recent menswear and womenswear collections have leaned into deconstructed uniforms, blurred category boundaries, and relaxed proportion, echoing the same design principles that defined his independent years.
What His Current Role at Prada Actually Involves
Being co-creative director isn't a ceremonial title — Simons and Miuccia Prada share equal responsibility for creative decisions across the brand's collections. Since joining, that's included:
Co-designing seasonal menswear and womenswear runway collections shown during Milan Fashion Week
Bringing his design perspective into a house with over a century of established history and codes
Continuing to work within a shared creative structure, which industry observers have noted requires more collaborative restraint than the full creative freedom of running an independent label
A Quiet Side Project Worth Knowing About
Alongside his Prada work, Simons has kept a low-key web store running called History of My World, named after his own label's Fall/Winter 2005 tenth-anniversary collection. It quietly sells new editions of archival goods in small batches, and in late 2025, his archive briefly resurfaced publicly again through a pop-up at Dover Street Market Ginza in Tokyo, featuring pieces spanning nearly 30 years of his design history. Neither of these represents a full relaunch of his own label, but they show the name hasn't gone completely quiet even in its closed state.
FAQ
1. What brand does Raf Simons currently work for?
He's co-creative director at Prada, a role he's held alongside Miuccia Prada since 2020. This continued even after his own namesake label closed in 2022.
2. Did Raf Simons work at Dior?
Yes. He served as artistic director at Christian Dior from 2012 to 2015, introducing his first haute couture collection there and bringing a modern approach to the historic house.
3. Was Raf Simons ever at Calvin Klein?
Yes, from 2016 to 2018, as chief creative officer overseeing the brand's overall creative direction, including menswear, womenswear, and its wider design and marketing strategy.
4. Did Raf Simons run his own label while working at other brands?
Yes, for most of his career. He maintained his independent label from 1995 to 2022 while simultaneously holding creative director roles at Jil Sander, Dior, and Calvin Klein.
5. Is Raf Simons planning to relaunch his own label?
There's no official relaunch confirmed. A 2025 archival pop-up and a small ongoing web store suggest continued interest in the name, but his primary current focus remains Prada.
Final Thoughts
To answer it plainly: Raf Simons is at Prada right now, working alongside Miuccia Prada as co-creative director, a role that's continued steadily since 2020 regardless of what happened with his own label. His path there ran through Jil Sander, Dior, and Calvin Klein, with his independent brand running in parallel until its 2022 closure. The design instincts behind a Raf Simons hoodie or a set of Raf Simons T-Shirts from his archive haven't disappeared either — they're still very much part of how he designs today, just under a different name on the label.
