Following the news of Raf Simons' placement as the new head of design for womenswear at Christian Dior, the fashion world was left wondering as to how he would fare at the job. With John Galliano's lasting legacy with a career spanning for more than a decade, followed by Bill Gaytten's performance which left a lot to be desired, the Belgian designer who left his post at Jil Sander had great boots to fill. How was he going to merge with the Dior DNA? Well, the question was answered yesterday at his first couture showing as the house's new genius. The front row was full of industry giants which included the likes of Donatella Versace, Franca Sozzani, Alber Elbaz, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and Azzedine Alaia. Talk about pressure! Alongside these names, the rest of the world and the critics watched with bated breath. Simons decided to refer to Christian Dior's iconic 1947 'New Look', taking it upon himself to create his own new look for the modern woman. The waist was nipped in, and peplums flared revealing the iconic Dior silhouette. Infused with this was Simons' own minimalist touch, deviating greatly from Galliano's operatic style and Gaytten's kooky. The effect was refreshingly stark- the lines were clean, the embellishment lavish with the occasional brocade and sparkle but not overpowering; everything was made even more impactful by the fact that Raf Simons created simple but well-made couture. Not a bad way to start off what looks to be a great career with a house as esteemed as Christian Dior. Derek Blasberg tweeted 'in the last 13 minutes, Raf Simons single-handedly altered the contemporary haute couture landscape'. With Dolce and Gabbana heading into couture for the first time this month and other visionaries such as Riccardo Tisci waiting in the wings, it's hard to tell just how much impact Simons' showing has overall, but what's certain is that he has definitely made his mark. I'm looking forward to more from him.
[images: Getty]
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