The xx and Raf Simons.
Willy Vanderperre
The xx have been praised for their streamlined style just as much as music, so it’s only right the British indie-pop trio created special merchandise for the 10th anniversary of debut album xx.
The group — comprised of Romy Madley Craft, Jamie xx and Oliver Sim — worked alongside respected Belgian fashion Raf Simons (best known for his work as former creative director for Jil Sander, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein) for a capsule collection that embodies the murky aesthetic of its 2009 album. Featuring t-shirts, patches, a cap and a set of pins., the collection is emblazoned with the LP’s signature abstract artwork.
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“The concept of the DIY aspect in the 10th-anniversary merch collection, using patches and pinning them on yourself, is something that feels very teenage to me,” Craft explained in a statement. “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.
“I got in trouble at school because I was cutting up my uniform. My dad once got a voicemail from school saying ‘She looked like she was going to a rock concert,’ which I thought was hilarious. I love that Raf wanted to combine those ideas from his collection into our collaboration.”
Simons also praised the group, explaining: “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. And not in the stereotypical way, it seemed much more real in a way. More authentic.”
“Working with the guys has been so amazing and so easy to do at the same time. We have worked together before, of course, and I just think we are already quite attuned to each other in the sense that we know very well what we want and what we can offer each other.”
The collection marks the third collaboration between the designer and The xx, following a 2014 performance at Simons’ Guggenheim Museum event and their work on 2017’s “I Dare You” video alongside photographer Alasdair McLellan.
Xx was released in Aug. 2009 via Young Turks. Back in September, the trio renewed their worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.
The capsule collection will be available on Dec.12 on The xx’s online store, as well as select retailers including e-store Ssense, Paris’ Galeries Lafayette and Hong Kong boutique Joyce.