RAF’S ENCORE IN MILAN?: There are some rumors that just won’t go away and the most insistent in Milan is the one that sees Raf Simons on his way to Prada Group. Market sources suggest the Belgian designer could be headed to Miu Miu as they say that Prada’s sister label has moved its design and communication office to Milan from Paris. The sources added that Simons has been searching for an apartment in the Italian city, which may have led to the tie-up speculations.

Prada Group had no comment on the rumors.

To be sure, Simons is a longtime friend of Miuccia Prada’s and has attended several of her fashion shows. Sources also contend that perhaps Simons could be in talks to collaborate with the Italian designer in some form or work on capsule collections, given her full-on engagement at both brands.

In November, during an event organized by Flanders DC, at the fourth edition of Fashion Talks in Antwerp, Simons touted the importance of staying independent and reflected on his frustration at his previous positions at Jil Sander and Dior, although he did not mention Calvin Klein, a post he left as chief creative officer in December 2018. He was also uncomfortable with the pressure of constantly growing the company as the only measure of success. Prada is a publicly listed company, which could pose a hurdle for Simons in this sense.

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