The assumption regarding Raf Simons' departure from Jil Sander has been that he was headed to Dior. Sounds logical and tidy, but here's what we're hearing. Dior indeed initiated contact and negotiations were moving along swimmingly, aided by the fact that the Belgian designer felt his time at Jil Sander had reached its natural and amicable end. In fact the two parties were close to an agreement until the last round of negotiations, when, according to our source, Simons asked for too high a salary. Dior CEO Sidney Toledano was apparently outraged, halted discussions, and signed Bill Gayten on for six more seasons.
Even if negotiations hadn't stalled, says our source, another obstacle would have been LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, who, inexplicably, isn't sold on the idea of Simons at Dior. One possible explanation holds that he prefers Brits. Another theory is he thinks Simons' style is too dry and cerebral for Dior's opulent-minded couture clients. But while it's true he has no official couture experience, it's also true that couturiers need only provide a vision, with which the couture studio can handily create a collection.
If true, the above must be disappointing for Simons, whose eponymous line would have benefitted greatly from an LVMH infusion. We also hear he won't likely introduce womenswear into his namesake line, as has been the rumor, which means he'll probably return to focus on menswear, and that's that. Personally, we believe he would have made a brilliant creative director at Dior. He would have tangoed the house into the modern era with skill, artistry and finesse. Plus, with him there is no chance of a scandal—sex, drug, Nazi-related or otherwise.
? Business-wise, Dior is doing perfectly well. They made profit under Gaytten and that's what matters. In the end, the customers keep fashion houses alive. As long as there will be people to buy what Dior offers, everything will be alright. I'm not sure those thousands of Asians and Saudi-Arabians customers give a damn about who's the head designer of Dior! They buy Dior because of what it represents (hence the amount of money spent on celebrities/marketing etc).
