The moment the fashion world had been waiting for arrived earlier today- the showing of Raf Simon's first collection for the House of Dior. The great master of minimalism at the helm of a couture house known for femininity, whose previous ruler, John Galliano, had created a world of fabulous frivolity and delectable excess. How could this work? The fashion industry has waited with bated breath, and many I feel, with a fearful apprehension. The venue was decorated wall to wall with millions of flowers of every kind- a little reminiscent of the scene at Simons' last collection for Jil Sander in which flowers stood in glass cases. Surely this was a sign of Simons taking over where he'd left off. And so it was- out came the looks one by one, garments of architectural beauty which Simons is known for. But construction was Christian Dior's baby too. Let us not forget his claim to fame- reinventing the female silhouette- cinching the waist, padding the bust and hips, and creating scandalously full skirts. Dior was known for his manipulation of form with fabric long before Galliano shaped his legacy into a theatrical world of embellishments and eccentricities.
The bar suit was the first to show, but in the 21st century it took the form of a slim trouser suit, worn with sharp black courts and a punchy pink lip. Trousers were everywhere- underneath bustier minidresses with busts of artfully folded fabric and hips of excess flare. It was all so simple, so beautiful. Pieces came in beaded fabrics too, but yellow seed beads on metallic bugle beads were modern, and the baroque patterns used were more clean than ornate. Every length, fabric, texture, seamline was explored- yet everything was the same. The collection was a vision of an artist, each model painted with the same brush, drawn with the same signature of the artiste that is Raf Simons. Watercolour prints that before may had flounced in layers of chiffon or organza took on smooth sculptural shapes in substantial silks, every element of construction was done with one less stitch or seam than many would had thought possible.
Raf Simons approached the formidable challenge of his first couture collection with respect, elegance, class, modernity, freshness, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. If Galliano presented us with a fictitious dreamworld of frivolous beauty, Simons gave us couture for the modern woman. Dior and Galliano may have made us dream, but Raf Simons made our dreams come true. What could be better than that?
To see the collection in its entirety, click here.
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