beauty delux

Past imperfect for the new Dior

When Christian Dior rocked the World in 1948 with his  new silhouette; prominent shoulders, accentuated hips, and small waist. The World was still recovering from the shock and devastation of the War…It seems somehow a propose that in this time of great economic strife especially in Europe,  Raf Simons would revisit that theme for his first couture collection ever at the house of Dior. Gone was the exuberance of the Galliano era persevered in a more moderate way by Bill Gaytten for a few seasons.  This was a hit and miss collection in all its minimalist sobriety.

The misses where mostly to do with some choices of material like the tye dieish silks of some evening wear as well as some of the sack like 60′s throw back’s of some other creations, that hardly did memory justice, thankfully I had a photo of my mother circa 1961 wearing the original Dior creation that most of inspired Mr. Simons, the difference is great,  I’d be happy to mail it just in case ther Atelier did not have a sample handy.

The hits were a more personal approach that Raf Simons showed  throughout his tenure with Sander a sort of 90′s minimalism revisited and informed  by a somewhat off-kilt application of fabrics and cut….In all it was the perfect debut collection. it did not offend, not much anyway and it kept with the nerd like approach to design that people like Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs have pioneered.  Just what fashion editors have come to expect as a first time effort.

 

 

I must add that Simons last collection for Jil Sander would have probably made a better first collection for Dior. The Newsworthy merit of  the collection and all the controversy surrounding the appointing of Raf far surpassed what was on offering… however sometimes it is far better to come in true the back door than to make a grand entrance and you cannot fault Simons for that.