End of a Chapter: Raf Simons bids farewell to Dior
updated the 26 October 2015 à 10:05
That’s the third designer switch in the fashion world this year. For now, we take a look back on the designer’s iconic creations throughout his tenure with the French couture house.
In the beginning of 2015 we saw how Alessandro Michele was handed the throne of Gucci over to him from the reign of Frida Giannini. Still fresh in our minds is the leaving of Alexander Wang from Balenciaga, followed by the appointment of Demna Gvasalia, former designer of young design collective, Vetements. Now, in what seems to be the third largest moment in fashion royalty this year, Raf Simons confirms his departure from French couture house Christian Dior, citing his intent to “focus on other interests.”
RAF’S BEGINNINGS AT DIOR
The shocking news rocked the fashion world when LVMH dropped the statement early on Thursday. The Belgian-born designer (whom was a part of Antwerp Six, the ground-breaking designer collective of graduates from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts) has only been at the label for a little over 3 years after leaving Jil Sander, which benefited from his clean, uncomplicated aesthetics. Many were skeptical when the announcement of his takeover at Dior was in due time, but Raf proved that he was worthy of the title upon releasing a fantastic first couture collection for the French label.
Raf often looked back on Maison Christian Dior’s original work in order to create better designs for the future. His mix of the signature Dior look with his futuristic cuts and elements were the defining moments in a modern Dior. Appointment of face of the brand like Jennifer Lawrence, Marion Cotillard and Rihanna (the label’s first black campaign star) were all moves that directed the company to greater heights. Even more forward-looking was how Raf chose the most memorable locations for his shows, like Pierre Cardin’s Le Palais Bulles in Cannes for Resort 2016, Kokugikan, a sumo wrestling arena in Tokyo for Pre-Fall 2015, the floating Navy Yard’s Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York for Resort 2015 and most recently, the grand flower dome in Paris for Spring 2016.
But just when we thought the Parisian fashion giant was on a roll, it seems another designer has begun to feel the overwhelming workload of juggling his own label(s) and another more closely-watched couture house. Sounds familiar?
THE NEXT CREATIVE HEIR
If it’s any indication, the past label takeovers by fresh-faced designers (Alessandro at Gucci, Demna at Balenciaga) may be the trend that Dior will tap on for its next creative heir. However, we also do speculate that a fellow LVMH designer may fill in for the label in the mean time. Adding multiple labels under their resume sounds easier said than done, but we’d love to see how designers like Phoebe Philo (Céline) or Riccardo Tisci (Givenchy) take on the challenge – if they were ever offered, that is.
We’ll just have to await the good news and perhaps take a closer look at Raf’s labels Raf Simons and Raf by Raf Simons in the future seasons. For now, we take a look back on his collections for Dior since his historical Fall 2012 Couture debut.
Nur Syazana H.
Photos: Getty Images
