What It Was Like to Walk Raf Simons’ First New York Show
The British model Ted Le Sueur shares what went on backstage with the designer, who he’s been working with for years. (Even when his thesis is due just a few days away.)
“It’s absolute carnage,” said the model Ted Le Sueur, describing the typical scene backstage after a Raf Simons show, which is usually flooded with hordes of well-wishers and admirers.
That was particularly true on Wednesday night, which saw Simons make the much anticipated New York debut of his namesake label at Chelsea’s Gagosian Gallery—a more “white cube-y” venue than usual for the designer, who, as the model pointed out, usually prefers “a warehouse somewhere in Paris.”
Raf Simons Arrives in New York: Backstage and Inside His Fall 2017 Show
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Backstage before the presentation of Raf Simons A/W ’17 Collection.
Le Sueur, 21, would know: He’s walked the past two and a half years’ worth of shows for the designer, starting with his spring 2015 collection, which found him alongside Simons’ mother and father backstage. Not that that one exactly still stands out to the model. “I can’t really remember the first time [we met] because I’ve met him so many times now, it’s kind of just merged into one,” Le Sueur said. “It’s a cliché, but each one outdoes the one prior.”
This season’s show, however, was “definitely special,” and not just because “you could tell it meant a lot to Raf.” A love letter to New York, Simons’ spring 2017 collection was a mix of tailoring and I <3 NY Milton Glaser references, tied together—literally—by duct tape, in the form of belts cinched around models’ waists. Each read phrases like “walk with me” and “I love you,” though were admittedly missing from Le Sueur’s look of an oversized black coat and baggy brown trousers. (He joked, as perhaps only a Raf favorite could, that it was therefore “not as iconic.”)
Ted Le Sueur backstage at Raf Simons.
Not that Simons’ brand is the only one that Le Sueur, who’s from Nottingham, England, has grown close with since he first got scouted at Glastonbury Festival in 2013: he’s also forged runway bonds with Dries Van Noten and Louis Vuitton. His additional gig as a fit model, though, remains “just for Raf,” even if it has suffered a bit from the newfound distance.
Still, like a good long distance relationship, the pair remain committed. “I had a direct booking for this because I’ve actually got my thesis in on Monday,” Le Sueur, who studies studio art at Central Saint Martins, said with a laugh. “I’m flying right back right today because I need to get back and finish it.”
I Heart Raf: Male Models Explain Why They Love Raf Simons So Much
“Raf is sick! He is meticulous with his work, and that produces great fashion.”
“I don’t really know a lot about fashion, but this show has gotten me excited.”
“What I love most about Raf is his shoes. I love the look that I’m wearing for the show.”
“He’s very meticulous in everything he does. He makes sure everything is perfect, which is so inspiring.”
“I love the jackets.”
“What I love about Raf is that he has a variety of clothes, from suits to like basic t-shirts. Almost everything he makes is comfortable and goes with everything. He has a good symmetry with his clothes.”
“I love his creativity and the way he looks at certain things.”
“I like his designs… Raf is cool.”
“The clothes are very cool.”
Raf… I can’t even begin to say what I love about him. Because the man amazes me every season, is always so special to work with him. And I think that creatively he is maybe the best one who delivered the past 10 years.
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