Christian Dior Haute Couture S/S 2013 Paris

[Zazie]

Should add the image of Dior, in particular perfumes and haute couture, as illustrated by Renee Gruau, who worked closely with him and made an art out of the advertised image, with its abstract, modern, less is more approach. I wish Raf Simons picks up on Gruau's sense of feminine exuberance as well!

 

[Scott]

apparently the sales figures are more specific to the couture collections.....they say that alone has jumped 24%. but you can never be too sure if that's the design or simply the hype in the end.

regardless,this argument is endless.....people are going to love it or hate it,and i don't think it would have mattered who was named at the helm. people seem to still be harbouring certain feelings about galliano and i think it's playing into a lot of the sentiment on this thread,especially the incessant comparisons between raf and galliano.

but i will say i do find it rather hypocritical myself,that galliano seems to get a pass after the horrid three ring circus he created here......replacing a vision that he had once just for his ego-tripping and gimmicks. but i guess people are more attracted to the fantasy than the integrity.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

But...what about the other 43 elaborate concoctions? Not only the column gowns but the wedding dresses were stunning and impeccably formed.

I don't think the flowers were played up that much this time either, it's mostly about the shapes, lots of interesting shapes, trapeze, voluminous skirts, thankfully constructed *without* panniers, the easy way out, like every Galliano collection.

I've also seen much much worse details from Galliano, one of the reasons why I finally lost respect for his work. I can't find anything more senseless than giant origami birds on a gown, they are seldom seen off the runway either. And don't get me going about Galliano's Dior HC theatrical make-up... they make these sequined red lips look like demure virgins. Can't understand why the clownish exaggerated makeup under Galliano is tolerated, but not these..

I did like early Dior by Galliano, he made it all about strutting divas and sex kittens, the cheeky kind. And he created a lot of theatrics and drama, yet the clothes were fine in their insouciance, though not to my taste. At a certain point, though, it just looked recycled, fatigued and the work went down the hill. That strutting supermodel, transvestite or Pigalle thing just gets tired, and to me, dated, like "Voguing" or JPG's conical bras.

Raf Simons is the diametrical opposite, and I feel closer to the original Monsieur Dior himself, with his strict silhouette and of course YSL's and Marc Bohan's Dior. This is the Dior of my mom's generation, exemplified by their elegant perfumes such as Diorissimo, Miss Dior, etc. He is carefully re-shaping what Dior is about, by hewing close to the original in its elegance. He does have to learn to convey a modern feminity ..fast.

So if sales go up, and I don't think it's a fluke, I think Dior did make a sane choice, and I hope to see Galliano back at his own label, sobered up and delivering a challenge and an alternative for his fanbase.

Well, you can believe whatever you want.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

apparently the sales figures are more specific to the couture collections.....they say that alone has jumped 24%. but you can never be too sure if that's the design or simply the hype in the end.

regardless,this argument is endless.....people are going to love it or hate it,and i don't think it would have mattered who was named at the helm. people seem to still be harbouring certain feelings about galliano and i think it's playing into a lot of the sentiment on this thread,especially the incessant comparisons between raf and galliano.

but i will say i do find it rather hypocritical myself,that galliano seems to get a pass after the horrid three ring circus he created here......replacing a vision that he had once just for his ego-tripping and gimmicks. but i guess people are more attracted to the fantasy than the integrity.

And just to be clear, the 24% gain in sales that Dior announced is for the whole company, not the haute couture, and it has nothing to do with Simons as his first collection is just now hitting retail, the gain was actually the result of Bill Gaytten's creative leadership. Take that as you will.

And regarding Galliano, don't get confused and think I prefer him over Raf. He gets no free pass from me. But just because Galliano was no longer relevant doesn't automatically make his replacement god's gift to fashion.

 

[Marc10]

And just to be clear, the 24% gain in sales that Dior announced is for the whole company, not the haute couture, and it has nothing to do with Simons as his first collection is just now hitting retail, the gain was actually the result of Bill Gaytten's creative leadership. Take that as you will.

No, the sales boost is based on Raf's 1st Couture collection and the pre/current sales of the Spring RTW collection.

 

[Scott]

no,mutterlein,every report i've read has explicitly stated that it's his couture.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

No, the sales boost is based on Raf's 1st couture collection and the pre/current sales of the Spring RTW collection.

You sure about that? According to today's WWD the period being discussed is from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2012. It makes no mention of the Haute Couture and says that all of the company's product lines were responsible for the gain, though it does refer to Dior's official name,Christian Dior Couture, and maybe that's confusing. Anyways, Raf's first season is just now being delivered to stores so how could it have helped the gain? Just saying.

 

[Marc10]

I can't read the full WWD article but The Cut wrote this:

Since Raf Simons's arrival in April (welcome party in the conference room), the house saw a 24 percent increase in sales, WWD writes.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

And the couture business probably isn't even big enough to account for a 24% percent increase in sales.

 

[Scott]

http://www.wwd.com/business-news/fi...-sales-jump-24-6689203?browsets=1359987510230

 

[Scott]

i agree,it has been a short period to generate that kind of increase but as i said,it may not in fact have any direct correlation with raf's actual work at the house but just his presence.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I can't read the full WWD article but The Cut wrote this:

Here's the relevant excerpt from the article

Christian Dior Couture said sales rose 24 percent in 2012, when the brand welcomed Raf Simons as its new creative director of women’s ready-to-wear and accessories.

Between Jan .1 and Dec. 31, sales at the fashion house totaled 1.24 billion euros, or $1.59 billion, with all product lines contributing to a healthy sales progression in its network of stores. At a constant exchange rate, the increase stood at 17 percent.

“These results reaffirm the exceptional quality of Dior’s products and powerful appeal of its stores,” the company stated.

They wouldn't have mentioned the product lines or the appeal of the stores (which only sell RTW) if they were talking about the Haute Couture. I suspect the house is trying to swing the news as validation of Simons, it's a bit deceptive though.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

i agree,it has been a short period to generate that kind of increase but as i said,it may not in fact have any direct correlation with raf's actual work at the house but just his presence.

Yeah, I won't rule that out. His name was blasted in every fashion media outlet. But the real test will come with the next quarterly results when they see how his ready-to-wear and creative direction over the other commercial lines fair with consumers.

 

[Melancholybaby]

But the real test will come with the next quarterly results when they see how his ready-to-wear and creative direction over the other commercial lines fair with consumers.

Exactly. We can only guess why there was an increase in sales last year, whereas the figures will be more tangible as Raf's first RTW collection is going in stores and the ads are being featured in magazines. Then we'll have a clear view of how his offerings fared with the clientele.

 

[TianCouture]

It's funny to see people talk about seams as though they're supposed to lay perfectly flat and not even pucker a bit. That makes little sense to me. Seams generally do pucker, especially on fitted garments, and you also need to take into consideration the position the model is in as she is walking down the runway. Her body certainly isn't as linear as a dress form. I would argue that most of those puckers aren't from poor construction, but rather just the way the fitted pattern is made and currently being worn, in the photographic moment. In other words, the position of the models body when the photograph was taken.

And the fact that Dior's sales rose in 2012 doesn't mean much for Raf. That could easily be a testament to Gaytten's short tenure at the house, which, if I'm not mistaken, is still in Dior boutiques worldwide...

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Exactly. We can only guess why there was an increase in sales last year, whereas the figures will be more tangible as Raf's first RTW collection is going in stores and the ads are being featured in magazines. Then we'll have a clear view of how his offerings fared with the clientele.

EXACTLY

 

[Deleted member 7575]

It's funny to see people talk about seams as though they're supposed to lay perfectly flat and not even pucker a bit. That makes little sense to me. Seams generally do pucker, especially on fitted garments, and you also need to take into consideration the position the model is in as she is walking down the runway. Her body certainly isn't as linear as a dress form. I would argue that most of those puckers aren't from poor construction, but rather just the way the fitted pattern is made and currently being worn, in the photographic moment. In other words, the position of the models body when the photograph was taken.

Seam pucker is usually due to the tension of the thread being greater than that of the fabric it's been stitched into, a sign of the seams being sewn too quickly or that the fabric is being forced to go against its nature. Its most apparent on the shiny satin fabric he used and it's pretty egregious. But if you think seam pucker is no big deal have a look at Prada's last satin heavy collection, there's no seam pucker there and it's RTW.

 

[TianCouture]

Seam pucker is usually due to the tension of the thread being greater than that of the fabric it's been stitched into, a sign of the seams being sewn too quickly or that the fabric is being forced to go against its nature. Its most apparent on the shiny satin fabric he used and it's pretty egregious. But if you think seam pucker is no big deal have a look at Prada's last satin heavy collection, there's no seam pucker there and it's RTW.

Really, then I guess you didn't see the last eight looks in that collection; they look far from perfect to me, and I've been sewing for 15 years...

And what website did you get your definition off of? I would love to know? Seam puckering can occur for many reasons, contouring issues, presser foot issues, grain issues-the variables are immense. Why do people feel they need to educate others and be so incredibly defensive? The exact reason I've stopped using tFS as frequently as I used to.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Really, then I guess you didn't see the last eight looks in that collection; they look far from perfect to me, and I've been sewing for 15 years...

And what website did you get your definition off of? I would love to know? Seam puckering can occur for many reasons, contouring issues, presser foot issues, grain issues-the variables are immense. Why do people feel they need to educate others and be so incredibly defensive? The exact reason I've stopped using tFS as frequently as I used to.

Sloppy sewing and poor selection of fabrics have been the most common reasons I've found. And I think most sewers or people who make clothes would agree. This isn't esoteric information, I was taught what causes seam pucker and how to avoid it. I guess not everyone did.

And I looked at the the Prada collection closely and I think there's a huge difference in neatness. But each to his/her own. Maybe some people don't mind looking a little off.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

And what website did you get your definition off of? I would love to know? Seam puckering can occur for many reasons, contouring issues, presser foot issues, grain issues-the variables are immense. Why do people feel they need to educate others and be so incredibly defensive? The exact reason I've stopped using tFS as frequently as I used to.

And I think you are the very thing you complain against....