Jung Ho Geortay

Designer

Lanvin, Kenzo, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Paul & Joe… the labels that have sought Jung Ho Geortay’s talent are numerous. Today, he is notably at the helm of Breton nautical clothing label Armor Lux’s Heritage line.

A few years ago, this hyperactive stylist began dreaming up mischievous and prints for shirts, produced as single pieces, each bearing a message concealed in a hidden spot (often inside the collar) and named after the calendar day corresponding to their creation. Encouraged by journalist Elisabeth Paillié and supported by the Printemps Design at Beaubourg (who were the first to market his shirts, in packs that repeated his prints), Jung Ho decided to create his own label, referencing his second name, PAUL.

“ the shirt is the only element of the masculine wardrobe where we can allow for a bit of imagination, as it can be counterbalanced by a nice sweater or a basic jacket.”
The Belgian stylist takes an obvious and crafty pleasure in toying with the standards of textile design, creating graphic ruptures through the skillful placement of unexpected elements into his motifs. The strategic arrangement of these minute details is sharp and cleverly camouflaged, conforming to the constraints of the classic dress code. To work in these playful details, all of the label’s shirts are cut and assembled by hand.

Saint Paul t-shirts, shirts and jackets are made for men and women. The hidden marks and the playful follies of the collection will delight style lovers weary of traditional sober, monotone prints.

Saint Paul is distributed in a handful of high-end stores internationally, from Paris to Tokyo by way of Seoul, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Berlin, Barcelona, Brussels and more…

Texte: Hélène Brunet-Rivaillon – Date 7 Mars 2012- WAD ONLINE magazine

BORN NEERPELT, BELGIUM IN 1968.

GRADUATES IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND FURNITURE DESIGN IN 1991 AND STARTS WORKING AS A FURNITURE DESIGNER FOR GALLERIES AND PRIVATE INTERIORS. BEFORE THIS, RAF SIMONS INTERNED AT THE DESIGN STUDIO OF WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK, WORKING ON THE PRESENTATION AND DECORATION OF THE VAN BEIRENDONCK SHOWROOMS AND COLLECTIONS.

IN A RADICAL CHANGE OF PROFESSION, HEREBY ENCOURAGED BY LINDA LOPPA, HEAD OF THE FASHION DEPARTMENT OF THE ANTWERP ROYAL ACADEMY, HE BECOMES A SELF-TRAINED MENSWEAR DESIGNER IN 1995 AND LAUNCHES HIS RAF SIMONS LABEL.

DESIGNS THE MENSWEAR OUTFITS FOR RUFFO RESEARCH (SPRING-SUMMER 1999 AND AUTUMN-WINTER 1999-2000).

OCTOBER 2000, RAF SIMONS IS APPOINTED HEAD PROFESSOR OF THE FASHION DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED ARTS, VIENNA, AUSTRIA UNTIL JUNE 2005.

WINS FIRST PRIZE SWISS TEXTILES AWARD, LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND IN NOVEMBER 2003.

PRESENTS ‘RAF SIMONS REDUX’, A BOOK BY PETER DE POTTER AND RAF SIMONS (PUBLISHED BY CHARTA/FONDAZIONE PITTI DISCOVERY) COINCIDING WITH HIS LABEL’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY. ‘RAF SIMONS 1995-2005’, A FASHION/ART EVENT AT THE GIARDINI DI BOBOLI IN FLORENCE, ITALY (INITIATED AND PRODUCED BY THE FONDAZIONE PITTI DISCOVERY, JUNE 2005) EQUALLY CELEBRATES HIS FIRST DECADE IN FASHION.

NAMED CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF JIL SANDER (MENSWEAR AND WOMENSWEAR) FROM JULY 2005 UNTIL FEBRUARY 2012.

APRIL 2011, RAF SIMONS IS PRESIDENT OF THE FASHION JURY OF THE HYÈRES 26TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF FASHION AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

CURATES TRANSMISSION 1, A THREE-DAY MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVENT IN BERLIN INITIATED AND SPONSORED BY MERCEDES-BENZ IN JULY 2011.

APRIL 2012 – NOMINATED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN DIOR FOR WOMEN’S HAUTE COUTURE, READY-TO-WEAR AND ACCESSORY COLLECTIONS. RAF SIMONS PRESENTS HIS FIRST HAUTE COUTURE COLLECTION IN JULY 2012.

LIVES AND WORKS IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM.
The most important message Raf Simons wants to communicate is:

PRIDE IN INDIVIDUALITY.

Fuelled by his love for both rebellious youth cultures and traditional menswear, he emerges in fashion halfway through the nineties, presenting a radically different image of masculinity. Fusing the energy and singularity of teenage subcultures with the sharpness and precision of classical sartorial craft, the look presented by Raf Simons is both inspired by and designed for confident outsiders.

From the first collection on, music, art, performance, images and words have a substantial role in the whole package, summing up, or rather clarifying the kind of world Raf Simons wants to project. Always at the core of his universe (and as essential as the clothes themselves) are attitudes, moods and statements about individuality and independence.

Equally important in Raf Simons’ approach is the constant quest for innovation. The designs are always looking for the now and tomorrow, even if they are inspired by historical or classical references. Throughout the years, with the signature style evolving and maturing, the key elements stay the same: modern proportions, a constant research for fabrics and textures and above all the interplay of pure construction and new shapes with the body and psyche of the contemporary man.