Christian Dior S/S 2016 Paris

[Marc10]

But since that, i feel like he is lost. Ok his collections are becoming more and more personal but they are also more and more dull.
He proved us many times that he is a master of modern minimalism. And it was interesting to see his trajectory at a house where minimalism is not a part of a DNA.

In stores, i find his clothes very unremarkable. At least before, his bold color combinations were interesting.

I also think that beyond the fashion, the whole house of Dior doesn't seem to trust his vision.

It's great to hear Sydney Toledano saying that he has a vision but if so and if you trust his vision so hard, why is he not in charge of everything Dior?


The accessories are great but as for the clothes...i don't see anyone buying them.

Well, he's 4 years into the job. It was obvious (and necessary) to see him try some different things. But still, from the first show to this one, the a VERY recognizable mood and aesthetic that hasn't really been changed and it's quite cemented. We made it clear that we have different opinions on the collections itself, but I think the look & aesthetic of "Dior by Raf Simons" is familiar to everyone at this point.

I think Toledano and the rest and most certainly behind him 100%, what makes you think they are not? It's clear by the way the other ads from the brands have adapted the his mindset: Charlize & Natalie's fragrance ads; Jennifer & Marion's accessory ads... they all sit very well next to the Dior RTW ads, they all feel part of the same universe. The "Dior and I" documentary was the biggest proof also.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I find that Raf has been very consistent since he started at Dior, consistently bad!

God knows what the management thinks of Raf. Does anyone know how long his contract is for? That will tell us a lot on when to expect his departure.

But, LVMH has a reputation for being supportive of their designers, even if they don't work out immediately. The general rule of thumb is to be supportive publicly, even if the business is going down the tubes. You will never ever hear Toledano or Arnault denounce Raf to the press. That's bad business and worse, it would reveal their own poor judgment and management decisions.

Yet, it's standard practice to have a contingency plan so I bet they have replacement options in mind, even if they don't plan on using them. Yet.

I don't mean to be such a raf-hating debbie downer but I was in the store yesterday to make sure my opinion was informed. *Sigh* It was just as miserable and tortured as ever. Even the shoes were a bit troublesome. I thought the bags were OK, like an upscale alternative to Michael Kors.

 

[Lola701]

I think Toledano and the rest and most certainly behind him 100%, what makes you think they are not? It's clear by the way the other ads from the brands have adapted the his mindset: Charlize & Natalie's fragrance ads; Jennifer & Marion's accessory ads... they all sit very well next to the Dior RTW ads, they all feel part of the same universe. The "Dior and I" documentary was the biggest proof also.

It's known that Dior is mr Arnault favorite house but it is also known that Raf Simons doesn't have a total creative control as someone like Nicolas Ghesquière.
I think that there is a unity between Dior Homme and Christian Dior but from the faces of the brand to the actual ads, they don't sit well IMO with his whole universe.

You can clearly see in his latest collections that he has been told to do more "desirable" clothes, because Dior is not Prada or Comme Des Garcons. Experimentations at Dior are welcomed when the generate big publicity and great sales. But when you're competing with Chanel (the biggest fashion house in terms of clothes), you can't design clothes that people don't understand or who only excited top editors paid to applaud what your doing.

That is why they hired Rihanna. She can link Dior to another generation and can easily translate Raf's complicated aesthetic and make it relevant in the fashion/entertainement scene.

The whole thing looks forced actually. I know that Raf wanted to prove that he can be commercial with this Dior job but i think that someone so talented needs to be able to expressed his vision in a bigger scale.

It may sound superficial or silly but his clothes are really weird in a Dior environment.

As for now, his tenure has been the most frustrating ever for me. It's a pity because i think that he is a terrific designer.

I've always dreamed of him at Helmut Lang...maybe it was too obvious.

I really think that Raf is a type of designer who is not comfortable with being out of his comfort zone but, in a weird way, when he is comfortable (like at Jil) he is totally able to take a house out of it comfort zone.

 

[Marc10]

It's known that Dior is mr Arnault favorite house but it is also known that Raf Simons doesn't have a total creative control as someone like Nicolas Ghesquière.

How so? I'm just curious honestly.

 

[george5]

How so? I'm just curious honestly.

I want to know that too. I don't want to get into a "You lying! Show me some proofs!" discussion but to me it's quite clear that Raf can raise his creative voice with freedom, while Ghesquière was brought to Louis Vuitton just to knock off Saint Laurent.

 

[Lola701]

How so? I'm just curious honestly.

People are talking in the streets
And it's also known that with mr Arnault "you can't really have a total control" as stated by one if consultant Jean Jacque Picart.
Seriously, Louis Vuitton is a totally separated affair (like Chanel one one side you have the "Corporate" Louis Vuitton with the classic monogram and all this stuff and on the other side, you have the fashion affair. They feed off each other but they are totally independent while sometimes, projects like "The Iconoclasts" can bring them together for the public.
Nicolas had this project to make the RTW more important so he has "carte blanche" and can do whatever he wants because no matter what the most important thing is to do desirable bags.

Dior is the first house that Mr Arnault bought and that house was the beginning of LVMH in a way. It has it codes but mostly they have so many activities linked to each others and the name Dior is also important in french culture.
You have so many stories of Mr Arnault almost being a part of the creative process, checking the bags, asking his wife about things, going to the stores to see how things are performing.

You can see a glimpse of that in Dior & I.

 

[disco54]

NG's Vuitton has stolen the lime light from Dior, and now Dior is trying to be young in a very awkward way. His clothes come across as lifeless and clinical, on top of boring and stiff. Dior makes most of its dough through make up and fragrances. The clothes are not relevant at all. I have a friend who works at the Dior boutique she informs people rarely buy the clothes and shoes.

 

[gossiping]

^ i admit it's the quietest place in the store when i visit

me personally, i love his stuff. their bags bore me to death and look like rip offs of all other brands, not original. but everyone is looking at all that in the store, i dunno...

 

[CholoChic]

Everyone repeats a lot the word "Clinical"
Well, maybe they are greateful I mean, nurses, doctors, veterinaries, and all those clinical people will be inspired by this collection and they will have the wish to refresh, redesign, renovate their uniforms after see this collection which goes directly to the hospitals hearts.

 

[ChimyeeRong]

It seems like Dior is becoming more and more futurism. And I'm more interested in expecting the beatuiful show background than clothes. Please don't make me feel that way. Even this season the clothes a little more fresh and beatuiful than before but I still don't get it.