Simons was born in Neerpelt, Limburg province, in 1968. Never destined to be a fashion designer, he studied industrial design at the Higher Institute for Visual Communication in Genk, whence he was plucked by Walter Van Beirendonck, one of the high priests of Antwerp fashion, as an intern to tackle the furniture and decor of his showrooms.

In 1991, Simons set up as a furniture designer but was tempted back to fashion in 1995, thanks to the encouragement of Linda Loppa, head of the Antwerp Fashion Academy. His own label concentrated on menswear, but in 2000 he left on sabbatical, explaining that the business side of the fashion industry left him feeling restricted in his creativity.

He was back a year later, having turned fashion professor at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Teaching and designing kept him going until 2005, when the sedate but extremely successful Milan-based house of Jil Sander called him in to become creative director.

Jil Sander herself, however – now an independent fashion consultant – has decided to come back to head her own label, which found Simons taking his leave, at least for the time being, from the fashion design world last week.

Some now speculate that Simons may be called upon by the house of Dior to replace John Galliano, forced to resign last year after an anti-Semitic rant in a Paris restaurant found its way to YouTube.

In any case, Simons is keeping his options open. Respected throughout the industry, he can probably pick his own direction. Whether he branches out on his own again in fashion or heads off in another direction altogether – art gallery or museum curation have been proposed – remains to be seen.

www.rafsimons.com