The journey is the destination.
“Leap of Faith”, Fall/Winter 2023 collection, echoes the hero’s journey; a frequently used template for storytelling characterized by twelve fundamental steps that can be more broadly grouped into three parts.
The Fall/Winter 2023 collection is the first of a three-part story that encompasses the hero’s journey. This multi-season arc is a first for Raefski, and his largest undertaking to date. Beginning with “the call to adventure”, it draws inspiration from humanity’s great heroes who have broken the mold and catapulted into near-mythical territories.
“Leap of Faith” is intended to take a fun, and at times whimsical, interpretation of the hero’s pursuit; the role it plays to find inspiration to overcome later inevitable challenges; a metaphor for Raefski and his team as they embark on a journey to explore and apply new ideas to their creative designs.
While Raefski has established himself as a name to watch on the Men’s Day calendar, where he is showing for the third consecutive season. This leap of faith begins a new exciting journey to unknown territories; a 13-look collection fueled by nomadic spirit, instilling purpose, and inspiring growth forward and the introduction of a womenswear subset of the collection; his own “call to adventure”.
Photography: Victoria Bruno @vb.media
Interview with Nicholas Raefski
by Margarita Broadwater
How would you describe your new collection in a few words?
Fun, whimsical. It’s all about the hero’s pursuit – kind of being your best self. I hope it inspires some people to pursue their dreams.
Great! What is the target audience for your brand?
I don’t always think in that mode. It’s for anybody who wants to be the best version ofthemselves, right? Typically our customers are younger males, between twenty and thirty, who have money to spend on fashionable clothing. However, I don’t want to restrict it to just that. So, if someone is 55 and is like “I love the bomber, I can rock it!”, why not?
Totally! And what inspired you for this collection?
It’s based on the hero’s journey (a frequently used template for storytelling). There is sixways to tell a story, one of them being the hero’s journey. So, we examined that in three steps: creating a hero, hardship, and then triumph. This season is all about creating a hero, assembling your team. Kind of like a beautiful moment of the journey you are starting on. So, it’s our first step in all of that.
Photography: Victoria Bruno @vb.media
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Nicholas Raefski currently lives in New York City. He graduated from Fordham University in 2021 with a degree in economics and a master’s in media management.
Without a formal education in fashion and design, Raefski has put together a team of autodidacts, with a learn-as-you-go moto, and launched his namesake label out of his dorm room in 2020.
“Leap of Faith”, Raefski’s forth full-scale collection, marked his third appearance on the NYFW calendar and with New York Men’s Day.
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