Raf Simons and The xx Reveal New Collaboration
- TextOrla Brennan
After teasing news of a collaboration last week, The xx and Raf Simons have revealed their hotly anticipated collection, which celebrates a decade since the release of the band’s self-titled debut album. Featuring imagery from the original album art, the collection of T-shirts, patches, a cap and a set of X-shaped pins takes inspiration from the record and the generation of youth it influenced, looking to the DIY spirit of teen fashion and tribal-appeal of band merch. “Using patches and pinning them on yourself, is something that feels very teenage to me,” says The xx’s Romy Madley Croft. “This links nicely with the first album – we were teenagers when we wrote the songs, and I was definitely doing that kind of thing with what I was wearing.” The collaboration is not the first time the band and the designer have worked together: The xx performed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum for Dior at Simons’ invitation, and in 2017 Simons collaborated with photographer Alasdair McLellan and Another Man’s fashion director Ellie Grace Cumming to create the video for The xx’s I Dare You. “When they reached out to do something together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of xx, I didn’t have to think twice,” says Simons, who lists the album as one of his all time favourite records. “The album xx represents a very distinct sensibility linked to youth culture at the time. It succeeds in articulating and putting into words what is going on in the minds of kids when they’re dealing with love, heartbreak, friendships.”
The collection will available to purchase from December 12, 2019 via The xx's webstore.