comes back; we all hope she will return.”

Sander stepped down in January 2000 as chairwoman and chief designer of her label five months after Prada bought control of the company. The relationship with Bertelli was strained throughout, as the two, both strong-willed and determined, clashed over creative direction and management of the brand.

In May 2003, the designer returned to her namesake label, only to leave it again the following year over similar issues, and dedicated her time to perusing art in Miami and Basel, Switzerland, and tending to her garden.

Sander’s old fashion house ended up in Japanese hands when Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. bought it in September 2008 from Change Capital Partners. Change Capital had acquired the brand from Prada in February 2006. Simons had been put inobtained a degree in industrial and furniture design in 1991. Drawn to the energy of the Antwerp Six, who put Belgium on the international fashion map, he segued from furniture into fashion and launched a youth-oriented, street-inspired collection of men’s wear in 1995. He started showing it in Paris two years later, and quickly caused a sensation with his skinny tailoring, street casting, and such imposing runway venues as La Grande Arche de la Défense.

In January 2011, Simons split with his Futurenet, which had the master license for Raf Simons. It could not be learned if Simons has since found another backer, although he held shows for his signature men’s wear label both last June and this January.

Earlier this year, Simons was an honoree at Fashion Group International’s