Christian Dior S/S 2013 Paris

[LagerfeldBoy]

Oh, this is breathtaking! Minimalism at it's finest. I love how the show started off with those suits and those chic neck scarves, which I'll admit did remind me of couture, but once those techno fabrics came I was blown away. For example, that organza looking yellow dress on Caroline first stole my heart. That grey blazer combined with the blue organza is perfection. I love how subtle the first half of the coat is while the organza on the bottom adds so much interest. Besides those two looks, I'm dying over that striped dress on Kasia. It's so simple yet it's absolutely chic, fun, and something different from his couture collection. The pink dress with heart-looking embellishments has got to be one of the most precious dresses from this. Just fantastic! I love how a lot of the pieces have an underlining fabric that's a different color, like that one white dress with the neon yellow fabric peeking through. Once again, a another detail I love about this collection. Simply superb. Let's not forget the fantastic shoes here. Raf is easily becoming someone I look forward to when it comes to shoes. They're not over the top or gaudy, but simply chic and cool. This is easily one of my top collections of the season so far, without a doubt.

 

[Morphe]

I don't understand how putting a suit on the catwalk is considered great fashion .I'm not the biggest fashionista but this was lackluster.I can't praise a fashion house with an unlimited budget for their tailoring..for the money their clients are paying they are supposed to.If this was shown in NY or Milan by a no name designer they would have called it commercial and ripped it to shreds.The fashion pack have showed their true colors once again.

So what if it's commercial? That's the point and that is one big reason why designers are hired these days.
A suit on the catwalk is great fashion. YSL did it, McQueen did it, hell, Cavalli does it too.
It's on the cuts, the fabrics, the work on the seams, the fit, the attitude, etc. For example, there is a reason why Jil Sander is so revered in the fashion industry and that is not her unique & innovative designs.
Couture might be considered fantasy but RTW is about basics done right.

vanessa friedman keeping it real

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/23f540e6-0973-11e2-a5a9-00144feabdc0.html

That's a very sensible review imo.

 

[LabelWhore4]

Well I like the accessories. The rest imo is a bunch of forgettable fodder. He obviously needs more time to inject the full potency of his DNA as a designer into the house. I say give him until this time next year to find his bearings until we effectively write him off. Other things from the show displeased me but those comments belong in other forums...

 

[raerae]

I love the first look, but the rest..... :| blah.
Very disappointing...

 

[Running River]

I don't post here very often, but it's just the case when it is necessary for me to express. I am a Galliano girl. For this reason I wouldn't like any of his successors in Dior, whoever they were.

But at the same time I respected Raf Simons when he worked in Jil Sander. Actually, I have several of his items and I love and wear them with pleasure.

Raf's assignment at Dior jarred me less, than the continuous presence of Gaytten or gossips about Jacobs's arrival. Simons was the man with whom my inspired by Galliano soul could reconcile.

But now I observe the situation which is very depressing and sad. I think and it's my personal opinion that Simons buries himself and recedes on a step with each new collection in Dior. He didn't lose the identity, no. The minimalism is in its best and even "thank's I've had enough, give me some embroidery please!". His collection doesn't impress, surprise, it's impossible to fall in love with.

15 years ago Arno wanted to shake the House of Dior from the time dust, to rejuvenate audience. Now I feel that he wants the return.

P.S. I'm working in advertising. Reviews will be great, trust me.

 

[zacatecas570]

It's worthless to compare, because John Galliano will not back he is a genious, he will be in history, nobody can take that away from us, his era was epic, he will be remembered forever, but now it's time to move on, and welcome to Raf Simons for Dior era.

 

[Northern Star]

All the talk of previous designers for Dior as opposed to what Gayten does is seriously mindnumbing at this stage. Anyways what I will say is that I don't care who designed this, it just isn't very good.
Some of the looks are so plain and then the awful fabrics on the more flamboyant looks just seemed like they've been done before by other designers and done better too. Those puffballs skirts were done with more panache by Dolce & Gabanna a few years back. I find the whole shebang very uninspired.
It's not all bad, but there is definitely something lacking.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

Raf is still getting there, but while it lacks the theatricality of the Galliano shows of the early 00s (which i believe a lot of people are comparing this with), it shows the clothes beautifully (when they're beautiful)

especially those 3 'creampuff' pieces really spoke to me lol. those 4 super short dresses/tops with shorts underneath, in metallic hues. especially the pink one looks like it'd be tons of fun.

 

[Lena]

Working with Villa Moda managment in the Gulf/KSA for several years I can say from experience. The new Dior will not be successful with clients from BIRC and the Middle East. I guess Dior wants to appeal to a new clientele but with the current economic conditions and a 75% tax rate announced today for the wealthy in France, what clientele? I don't see anyone besides Tilda Swinton and G. Paltrow wearing this.

i agree about the Galliano_BIRC_Middle_East and sure some of those clients will be lost

on the esthetical level this is obviously an strategic opening to the east
the collection is perfect for Russia and the Asian Market

overall, the nouveau riche will always wear whatever is in the ads, the hyped glossies and the red carpet
neo-affluent people dont care about the collections, care about status and acceptability

Dior will sell no matter what but still, this bad edited colletion is not even near to a 'stellar' 'relaunch'

as i said before, Raf last Sander collection was 'more Dior' than what we saw today

 

[Street_a_Licious]

oh, and if i were a buyer or stylist, i would have run backstage after the tuxedo dress showed up and hogged it like a dog hogs a leg.

 

[Thefrenchy]

I had such weird feelings regarding his very first collection for Dior. I began by completely hating and it grew on me to the point that I became sightly obsessed with it. His first RTW collection seems to be the logical following from the couture collection. Moreover, his vision of the Dior woman gets clearer and clearer.

I liked most of that collection. He has a very modern vision for the brand, which is something I applaud. That modernity translates very well in the way he cuts his clothes.

My favorite pieces were all those black minimal looks and I quite liked the use of that irridescent fabric which looked flawless during the live stream of the show. I also adored the shoes! But I have admit there were some truly uninspiring (not to say ugly) offers... The first two looks of #99 and the first four looks of #102 seems to come straight out of a high school student's design project. Really terrible... That kind of pieces should never been included in any future Dior collection. Never ever.


One last thing, I said it already in the Jil Sander thread but I'll mention it in that one too. I really wish the mods could do something about the whole "Bring back [insert designer's name] at [insert brand's name]" or "I miss [insert designer's name] at [insert brand's name]". That kind of comment make the collection threads absolutely unsufferable and annoying to read. People need to learn to stop looking back and need to get over it!

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

For the people saying the journalists are being bribed make it seem as if Suzy and Cathy are new to this scene. I am sure we have all heard bad reviews from both journalists, even when Bill Gaytten was designing for Dior. Cathy is a huge minimalist fan so I am sure she loved this wholeheartedly. I did as well. He touched upon classic Dior shapes and gave the Dior women something to look forward to. I don't believe the people bashing this collection are Dior customers, but I do believe they are trying to reach the consumers who have remained loyal to the brand. Galliano, while I am still a huge fan, wasn't right for this Dior woman because he had too much of a artistic vision whereas Raf fits in right along with the refined woman.

 

[ogepma]

This was a very sublime collection. It was almost perfect. I absolutely loved all the tailored pieces and the colours. The details are even more spectacular especially on the simpler pieces. I like how Raf reinterpreted some classics and at the same time included looks that were 100% him and infused them to create this collection. My only issue with this is that it looked like some ideas were left hanging. For instance the blue detail on the coat in look 15 felt like it could have been developed further. At the same time, certain looks could have been edited out. But I think what Raf is doing with this is trying to shape a more defined aesthetic for his time at Dior hence the reason why there were so many looks and different styles. Over time, I believe the collections will get smaller and more focused. All in all, this was a very beautiful collection and I am very happy with it. I also loved the set (glad they have done away with those tacky elevated sets) and the music was good too. Hair and make-up was exquisite!

On a side note, while it is understandable that this is a forum and everyone has the right to an opinion, I can't help but feel that about 80% of the criticism towards this collection is fuelled by anger over the fact that Galliano is gone and Raf isn't even attempting to continue with his aesthetic. I mean how can this possibly be termed a "boring" collection? The details make me think a lot. The outfits themselves are not as they initially seem! Do the clothes have to be so obviously detailed and outrageous in order for them to be "interesting"? Galliano is gone and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Suggesting that Dior is losing out because of this is one of the most preposterous things I have ever heard. We all know that for the last few years before he left, the house was almost obsolete. It was almost the same thing every season. And before then, around the early 00's, what Galliano did at Dior was disastrous. Yes, they where interesting but they had nothing to do with Dior (this is coming from a Galliano fan). Its time to move forward people. Get over it!

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

oh, and if i were a buyer or stylist, i would have run backstage after the tuxedo dress showed up and hogged it like a dog hogs a leg.

IKR!

 

[KemAlnagdy]

Actually after seeing the HQs only one dress is hideous, the other are beautiful, amazing collection.

 

[Marc10]

Accessories:


stylebistro

 

[helmut.newton]

This is sexy and modern. One of the best shows of the entire season for me. I love the way it was luxurious through the accessories (jewel cuffs, crocodile bags, iguana leather shoes) and how the clothes were so understated. This is the most sophisticated Dior show I have ever seen. It was exactly the way you'd imagine moneyed clients dressing going forward.

I also think this Dior will appeal to many more women. This is truly international, you can see clients from New York to Paris to Dubai to Beijing, wearing these pieces in their own respective ways. And on that note, the way it was styled and put together, it suggests that the Dior-client-of-old would be able to wear their vintage pieces and update their look with a pair of shoes or a bag from Spring Spring 2013.

It was a very smart collection in this way and others. This is thoughtful design and not just based on visual extravagance. It will be very interesting to see what Raf does with repositioning the brand in terms of advertising and brand ambassadors...

 

[wednesdays child]

Very , very impressive.. So many reasons I love this , and there's still more to appreciate on closer study I expect

 

[Marc10]

...


stylebistro

 

[thisismyname]

Actually Galliano's clothes sold very well with Middle Eastern clients and customers from BRIC countries because of their opulence and the insane price tags justified it. Keep in mind customers from these countries form a large part of couture and luxury retail now.Working with Villa Moda managment in the Gulf/KSA for several years I can say from experience. The new Dior will not be successful with clients from BIRC and the Middle East. I guess Dior wants to appeal to a new clientele but with the current economic conditions and a 75% tax rate announced today for the wealthy in France, what clientele? I don't see anyone besides Tilda Swinton and G. Paltrow wearing this.

I respectfully disagree that this collection won't sell with BRIC customers. I can see a great deal of this selling well in Russia and in Brazil. I've spent a lot of time in both of those countries, have family in Brazil, and this is the sort of thing that the rich are looking for there. Especially in Russia. The younger generations of the uber-wealthy aren't so much into the gaudy, gratuitous displays of opulence that many used to associate with style there.

Further, I think this will sell well in the West as well. Or at least, as well as things at this price point can sell at this point in time. For the Dior customer who bought the more traditional pieces from Gaytten's clothes and the bland stuff from the past couple years of Galliano's Dior, there are those lovely coats, and those black dresses. The shiny short dresses will appeal to the cool girls who haven't worn Dior in years. Not just the "it" girls that you see photographed, but the actual rich women in the 25-45 age group (at least in America). I can imagine a lot of this on women that I know on the East Coast who have money to spare.

The colorful tops that were paired with shorts will appeal to both groups. And once you get the cool girls in the clothes, the rich ladies and then the masses will be itching to buy the accessories.

I think this collection was a good balance. It was a breath of fresh air, but it also fit into the framework of the house and the experimentation won't compromise its commercial success.