Tuesday, 15 November 2011

The Music Never Ends at Dior

It appears that the talks between Dior and designer Marc Jacobs are once again left at a stand still due to conflicting issues. According to WWD, Jacobs would like to uproot his current team at Louis Vuitton if Bernard Arnault was to succeed in signing the designer as the new creative head of the house of Dior, but for obvious reasons this would create an even bigger problem, especially since the new preferred replacement for Jacobs, Phoebe Philo has expressed her decision to continue with the house of Celine. So where does that leave Marc and Dior? Reports suggest that Arnault and Dior have both accelerated their pace and moved on with their other options. The names being tossed around for possible candidates are actually quite an eclectic mix, both artistically and in terms of bankability, so how about a round of musical chairs?


Riccardo Tisci; The probability of Tisci leaving Givenchy for Dior is very slim. Given his recent stride with the label after two knockout season collections, it would be very risky for him to suddenly leave and start from scratch all over again in an attempt to save a crashing house. 


Phoebe Philo; Well, she's already said she prefers to stay with Celine, so she's out of the running. However, if we envision Philo at the helm of Dior, what would it be like? Sharp tailoring with an uber modern touch, slightly on the minimalist side. Now add that and fuse with the Dior DNA, it could have been great. Perhaps maybe a little too modern especially post-Galliano's extremely decadent trail, but maybe that's just what the doctor orders?


Jason Wu; A fresh young talent with probably the most in common with Dior in terms of aesthetics. His silhouettes are not far from the iconic label and he seems to be quite popular with everyone right now, from fashionistas to tinseltown ladies to the US First Lady. His relationship with Michelle Obama, who wore his design at the Presidential Inauguration, put him on the map the same way The Duchess of Cambridge affirmed Sarah Burton's talent to take over the house of McQueen. Okay, so maybe not AS significantly, but Wu has kept the fashion world abuzz for a few seasons now. I can definitely see a connection and a great possibility. Remember when Galliano first took over a decade and a bit ago? It can all be Messianic for Dior if they manage to sign this young talent. The only downfall for him would be that he may have to put his own label on the backburner while he pieces Dior back together. 


Alexander Wang; Just like Wu, Wang has been making waves as the new de facto cool guy with his signature hip touch and his luxe take on American sportswear. Personally, I don't see it. To be fair, anybody could have a go at Dior and produce something stellar in comparison to that disaster of a couture collection, but for this one, I'd say Wang is out. He's too....cool and gauche for a fashion house that is known for its decadence and very feminine aesthetic. Wang is almost too rebellious and tomboyish and while it's great (love him!) I don't think it would be a good fit. I wouldn't bet on him taking on the task either. 


Raf Simons; YES. But if it was for Dior Homme at least. I like Simons and his menswear. His style is totally very much within the European realm of style and its very chic. As for womenswear, his aesthetic tends to be a little too corporate for me. It's all very tight and sleek. He could probably do wonders with Dior so I'm not counting him out just yet. His Spring 2012 collection for Jil Sander was great as it looked fresh and wearable, so perhaps for pret-a-porter Simons is not totally out of his comfort zone. But Dior is also all about haute couture. Hmmm. For now, I'd say...maybe. 


Marc Jacobs; Ahh, so here it ends. When I first heard about Dior courting Jacobs I though, "Hmm, I don't think so". Why? Perhaps because I feel, that Galliano and Jacobs are not entirely dissimilar. Especially as of late, from about 2007-2012 Jacobs' collections for Louis Vuitton and his own label can very well fuse with the Dior DNA quite beautifully. Little touches do that but they are also what sets him apart from Galliano. The worry comes with that as well. Maybe it would look very much the same or drastically different. I can see the relationship being as dynamic and fizzy as it was with Dior and Galliano too. Maybe I should stop looking back at the former's legacy and just look straight ahead, because then I can keep an open mind. As of today, I would put Jacobs in second place given that the talks have halted once again. Obviously one way or the other, there are issues that are being addressed and are conflicting with both parties' inclinations. 

Who do you think will get the job? Even if it doesn't happen, I would still like to keep my confidence in Jason Wu. He's young, he's talented and I think he'd be a great fit with Dior. It's more or less his style and since he already has that in his aesthetic, he could revive the house with an injection of his fresh sparkle. At first I thought maybe Tom Ford would be phenomenal with Dior, but given his well-received foray into womenswear collection (and his artistic ego!), he was never in the running. True, the house needs a serious crash cart and resurrection. Perhaps a totally different direction is what Dior needs to move on into the future, but despite Galliano's off-work troubles, the path he laid out for the label has become so ingrained in our minds that is it really bad that I think it should stay on that route? 

Share your thoughts people!
xoxo

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