It wasn't raining at the Raf Simons show, but there were umbrellas, chunky rain boots and thunder, too - from subway trains roaring across the Manhattan Bridge overhead.

Guests - including Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore, Christian Slater and A$AP Rocky - stood outdoors in a space that serves as a bustling Chinatown market by day. Chinese lanterns hung overhead. Buckets of water were splashed on the ground before the show to make it slick, shiny and, well, wet.

So it wasn't a great night for suede pumps, but the models had the right footwear. They also carried huge umbrellas, some intentionally broken and some not. As they sashayed down a crowded alleyway, those umbrellas occasionally bumped into onlookers leaning in to take photos. Wide-brimmed rain hats came down low over the models' eyes, with scarves around their necks. Bodies were draped with huge slouchy sweaters and voluminous coats. Not much skin was on display.

While this was the menswear show for Simons' eponymous label (he's also creative director for Calvin Klein), some models were women. In any case, they were meant not to be human, but "Replicants" - or androids, a la "Blade Runner," one of Simons' favorite movies. After the show, Simons reflected on how the 1982 Ridley Scott sci-fi film influenced his creative vision.

"'Blade Runner' has been inspiring for many years, and I wondered, 'Why did I never do something that relates to this movie?'" the Belgian designer mused. "But it had to feel right in the circumstances." The Replicants' significance, Simons noted, could also be applied to fashion itself: "It's interesting to think about how fashion can be about cloning, either in a good or a bad way. But that's a longer discussion."

Simons' collection included some Asian references inspired by his jaunt through several Asian countries earlier this year. "I was very inspired by the culture and the mentality," he said. Asked if his emphasis on diverse cultures was connected to the current political situation, he said: "Partly yes. But I was also looking a lot into my own environment and world, and more and more I am opening it."

"It's important for someone in my job to inspire, to make people feel very positive about what they see and experience even if it's just a fashion show," he added.

Simons has had a head-spinning year since moving to New York. In February, he earned raves for his debut Calvin Klein collection. In June he accomplished the extremely rare feat of winning the coveted Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in both womenswear and menswear.

-Jocelyn Noveck