Harald Velvet

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Fanny Aronsen was a Swedish textile and product designer who created a unique and influential body of work. She made luxurious and sophisticated contemporary fabrics, characterised by sumptuous colours and intriguing tactile materials. After working in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, Fanny Aronsen returned to Sweden to set up her own studio in 1998. She was also a professor in textile design at the University of Stockholm, where she lectured at the renowned Konstfack College of Arts, Crafts and Design. Traces of Nordic history and culture can be discerned in her work, although the final results are a sophisticated mix of influences and directions.

Although graduating in Industrial and Furniture Design in 1991, Raf Simons embarked on a radical change of profession in 1995, becoming a self-trained menswear designer and launching his eponymous label. A celebrated career has followed with Simons being appointed head professor of the Fashion Department of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, being named Creative Director of Jil Sander (menswear and womenswear) and then Artistic Director of Christian Dior for women’s Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear and Accessory collections.

Simons fuses the energy and singularity of teenage subcultures with the sharpness and precision of classical sartorial craft. Always at the core of his world are attitudes, moods and statements about individuality and independence. Equally important in Raf Simons’ approach is the constant quest for innovation - an exploration of fabrics and textures is a significant part of this. Simons has designed several textile collections in collaboration with Kvadrat.