New York – He is the man who earned his place among the pantheon of legendary fashion
designers when he took the helm of iconic luxury brand, Dior. He ushered in
a new era for the fashion house after the controversial departure of John
Galliano. He was the man who people thought was too minimalist for the job,
but still brought his own vision to the famous fashion house named after
its founder Christian Dior.
Raf Simons was a man who arrived at Dior as a surprise to many, because,
although he had the resume with the design experience, it was questionable
if he could bring the drama that Galliano had brought to the designs during
his tenure as creative director. Over time, he proved that he could handle
the job.
However, a look at the documentary “Dior and I’ about Raf Simons and his
work at the legendary fashion house was very revealing. He seemed to be
overwhelmed by the size of the fashion calendar, and how quickly he had to
churn out collections.
Despite the stress he was facing heading up one of the biggest brands in
fashions, consumers responded to the designer’s work.
From 2011 to 2015 sales grew 60 percent overall under Simons’ leadership as
creative director. He believed in one thing above all else, that fashion
should be wearable, even couture. It was the same approach that Christian
Dior himself took to fashion design, and it clearly served both of them
well.
For Simons, it was all in the details, with things such as pockets on all
his dresses and full-skirted silhouettes reminiscent of the dress that
Argentine First Lady Eva Peron once donned in the 50s.
Simons also had a very modern interpretation of Dior’s bar coat, which over
the course of his time with the label was done in all lengths and types of
silhouettes.
For a man who left such a distinct mark on the company, how is Dior
expected to carry on without him? By the looks of their recent collections,
they aren’t doing that great a job with their women’s wear.
Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux, the two studio heads for Dior, are
unquestionably gifted designers, but they don’t have the type of vision
Simons did.
For the fall 2016 ready-to-wear show, the duo was praised by Sarah Mower of
Voguerunway.com for making the clothes younger and less uptight, but there
was just so much black, and even the floral patterns lacked that expensive
silhouette Simons could create for the brand. The highlight of collection
was knits, and unless you are a t-shirt brand, knits should not be the most
exciting thing about your over 50-piece collection for the season.
The small dip from grace for the brand however will hopefully only be
temporary.
It was recently announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri is rumored to be the new
creative head of Dior. Chiuri is one of the two creative directors of
Valentino, along with Pierpaolo Piccioli. The duo has been together for
almost 30 years, starting out at the accessories department in Fendi
together. If Dior goes through with the appointment of Chiuri, this would
be her first solo gig.
While Simons did boost sales of the brand, over the past 18 months they
have been slipping. Chiuri could be just what Dior needs, as she has been
credited, along with Piccioli, with reviving Valentino, seeing sales
quadruple under their tenure.
Could the future of Dior, then, be better off with a different creative
director at the helm?
Simons served his time, and has now happily moved on to focusing on his own
eponymous label which just has its runway show at Paris Men’s Fashion Week.
He seems happy with his future career as a designer, and will forever
proudly wear a mark few get to wear of having the title of Dior’s creative
director.
Chiuri might just be what Dior needs, someone who isn’t a minimalist, with
an eye for turning around a luxury brand’s design aesthetic and sales
figures. Also, a history maker, as she would the first woman to head the
design house if she got the job.
An official announcement of Chiuri’s appointment is expected to happen
after Dior’s couture show in July. The future of Dior most likely lies in
her hands, and one can only hope she will create more magic and higher
sales than Simons did.
Photos: via Dior facebook