Who Will Succeed John Galliano At Dior? #2 *Update Raf Simons Offically Hired*

[Uemarasan]

Best news I've heard this year so far! Marras, Marras, oh please, Marras for Dior.

 

[Fatalefashion]

^OMG - No!

 

[bedtimestorynyc]

i was gonna reply to this.. but this stupid ***KING ad appears EVERYWHERE and spoils the whole joy of browsing through the website - WEBMASTERS, PLEASE GET RID OF THIS 'For Better or Worse' ad - AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Crying Diamonds]

i was gonna reply to this.. but this stupid ***KING ad appears EVERYWHERE and spoils the whole joy of browsing through the website - WEBMASTERS, PLEASE GET RID OF THIS 'For Better or Worse' ad - AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f4...link-report-glitches-87061-5.html#post9987059

 

[Ayisha1978]

fashionista

Well, all of us already knew Jacobs isn't going to be Dior designer anymore but there are another important points or notes.

I agree, and I think Oliver Theyskens is a poor replacement. I find his work is dull. And why would anyone consider Marc Jacobs? This is sad. I have my doubts about Galliano's ability to be replaced.... however I think that if there's any decent chance at all truly replacing Galliano in a way that makes people almost ask "Is John back?" is to find a flamboyant (not insane) Japanese designer who likes to reference historical themes and artistically blending them into modern, luxurious and yes, theatrical designs. This person would also have to have the ability to pare down his or her concepts/themes into affordable and marketable rtw collections. It's our only hope.

 

[mikeijames]

i sometimes wonder if an oddball pick like gareth pugh might stand as the answer. lvmh has shown him some interest. he would DEFIBRILILATE dior.

 

[Uemarasan]

^OMG - No!

Marras is a better designer than any of the other designers mentioned on this thread (including Galliano), except for Elbaz, Alaia, and Lacroix

I agree, and I think Oliver Theyskens is a poor replacement. I find his work is dull. And why would anyone consider Marc Jacobs? This is sad. I have my doubts about Galliano's ability to be replaced.... however I think that if there's any decent chance at all truly replacing Galliano in a way that makes people almost ask "Is John back?" is to find a flamboyant (not insane) Japanese designer who likes to reference historical themes and artistically blending them into modern, luxurious and yes, theatrical designs. This person would also have to have the ability to pare down his or her concepts/themes into affordable and marketable rtw collections. It's our only hope.

Brilliant suggestion! I'm thinking of Chitose Abe of Sacai for Dior, which would be absolutely delicious. Limi Yamamoto might also bring something interesting to the brand. Neither are exactly flamboyant, though.

 

[valliaddict]

Dior should hire a complete unknown, imo. Critics will be unbiased to the designer's previous works, and I think a new designer will bring that much needed freshness to the label. Either a new one, or Theyskens. I think he has grown as a designer at Theory, and is one of the very few new talents that actually has some originality. His take on Dior would be amazing.

 

[TianSoFine]

Is there no one currently working for Dior who's capable of putting together a decent collection? Was Gaytten really the best one they had under Galliano?

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

Copping? he'd probably do something similar than Gaytten, not a very exciting designer
Marras? pretty good designer but is he capable to do couture?
Gareth Pugh? way too dark and avantgarde-ish..

out of the names mentioned in that post from fashionista.com, i think Elbaz is in the same position as Tisci so we know he won't do it
Haider A. could be a great option bc he's really talented but his clothes are much more masculine and relaxed than the Dior aesthetic, not sure if he'd fit
Alaia could be pretty amazing but i'm afraid he's in a similar situation than Lacroix
and after seeing Ford's last collection.. no way, dont wanna see Dior turning into dated Gucci

what about Joseph Altuzarra?
he's young but has experience with bigger labels (he's worked in Givenchy and Marc Jacobs) i think he's quite versatile and his f/w 11 collection actually had a Galliano feeling, he could make Dior more contemporary without losing its essence imo
Prabal Gurung would be interesting too!
.

 

[Psylocke]

I agree that Theyskens would be perfect. However I love what he does for Theory and I'd prefer for him to stay there because it means his collections are somewhat affordable for me


I still want a designer from the LFW roster to get picked. Someone who's experienced but not overexposed and overhyped yet. I'd love Erdem, Peter Pilotto, Antonio Berardi, Jean Pierre Braganza, J.W. Anderson, Charles Anastase, Jonathan Saunders, Marios Schwab or David Koma to get a chance. Seriously, there is so much talent around in London and none of the names have been thrown around in the rumor mill yet, which seems weird to me. Even someone like Mary Katrantzou would be exciting for Dior.


Also, Phillip Lim, Narciso Rodriguez, the Rodarte girls or Jason Wu (eventhough I don't like him) would be good choices, IMO.

 

[thejarc]

Those arguments against young designers are not valid in my eyes. Look where Riccardo or John came from, they where young designers that did absolutely wonderful couture. And I dont another person doing theatrical things with historical references at Dior, we already had that.

I would love to see a young person who will completely suprise us with his or her take on Dior, who has a chance to build his own Dior universe season after season and migght not be afraid to be daring (if Arnaut allows it).

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

something interesting i saw in an interview with Azzedine Alaïa from his thread, it seems that he'd never do Dior..

You’ve been showing clothes at your own pace and in your own house for a while now, but this season it seemed especially exclusive, focusing solely on knitwear.
Maybe in July I will show other clothes, if I have the time to develop them. I refuse to work in a static rhythm. Why should I sacrifice my creativity to that? That’s not fashion, that’s industrial work. We can hire people to design all day long and then fabricate what they design and sell and sell and sell — but that has nothing to do with fashion, with la mode. And it’s a shame talents are being abused for this. I really don’t understand that. I have to live as well. That’s what life is about: living. Tell me how these designers who work for the major houses can have lives? How can they raise children if they are never home? They are gone for one, sometimes two months, while their children have to go to school. They have husbands, wives, but they can’t live their lives. People need time for that, and talents need time to create something. It’s stupid to ask someone to create eight collections per season. Look what has happened to John Galliano or this poor young guy from Balmain, who is now in a psychiatric hospital. After five or six seasons, he was already broken. Or last year, McQueen — dead. And there are many more that are just so tired. There is a pressure that is mad.

You have said before that we are missing philanthropy in fashion.
New talents, like Haider Ackermann, really have to watch out for themselves. The decision for someone like him is hard — to be approached by a big maison and then say no. But signing a big contract is like signing a contract with the devil today. He can’t do his collection and do, for example, collections for Dior. Of course there are exceptions, like Karl Lagerfeld — he can do Fendi, he can do Chanel, he can do photos, film, Diet Coke — but that’s something very different. There is just one Karl Lagerfeld — it’s a whole other system.

032c

 

[TianCouture]

Those arguments against young designers are not valid in my eyes. Look where Riccardo or John came from, they where young designers that did absolutely wonderful couture. And I dont another person doing theatrical things with historical references at Dior, we already had that.

I would love to see a young person who will completely suprise us with his or her take on Dior, who has a chance to build his own Dior universe season after season and migght not be afraid to be daring (if Arnaut allows it).

I wouldn't like to see a youngin' @ Dior...the reason Galliano and Tisci worked is b/c. they are actually good...young designers today are either really bad or really inconsistent, collection wise. We need someone wayyyy more seasoned than a young designer. Someone with a focused direction...

 

[valliaddict]

^I think you are generalizing young designers too much. I mean, not ALL young designers are inconsistent.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[angel222]

Oh well, Dior did what they had to do and it's fine I don't think they could've done anything else given the backlash. I think they should take as long as they need to find someone that they "love" and what ever the outcome is then so be it.

 

[Mutterlein]

Oh well, Dior did what they had to do and it's fine I don't think they could've done anything else given the backlash. I think they should take as long as they need to find someone that they "love" and what ever the outcome is then so be it.

this is probably the most sound and sensible thing posted in this thread.

 

[TianCouture]

^I think you are generalizing young designers too much. I mean, not ALL young designers are inconsistent.
Posted via Mobile Device

Maybe in your personal view of young designers. But very few are, IMHO...

 

[Modelo]

So JimShi809 just tweeted that Raf Simmons is headed to Dior!

 

[kimair]

From Marc to Raf?

Now that Marc Jacobs appears to be out of the picture at Christian Dior, industry sources said the French fashion house is closing in on a contract with acclaimed Belgian designer Raf Simons to become its next couturier.

A deal with Simons, 43, has yet to be concluded, and sources cautioned that several key details must be worked out. Chief among them would be a start date, given that Simons, creative director at Jil Sander since 2005, would have to unravel his contract with that Milan-based house, which is understood to have been extended recently for an unknown duration.

What’s more, given the rapid cycle of collections at a big couture house, it’s unlikely any newly installed designer would be able to produce a collection in time for Paris Fashion Week in March, let alone the couture in January.

Dior’s design studio, headed by Bill Gaytten, has been producing couture and ready-to-wear collections since last March, when Dior ousted its longtime designer John Galliano in the wake of his racist and anti-Semitic outbursts at a Paris cafe.

Dior officials could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Should Dior secure Simons, it would mark the latest step up in an impressive career for the men’s wear maverick, who added women’s wear to his design repertoire only when he arrived at Sander.

It would also suggest Dior management is prepared to nudge the storied fashion house in a more modernist direction, given Simons’ predilection for minimalism and futurism.

Galliano, who brought spectacular showmanship and epic, romantic inspirations to Dior during his 15-year tenure, had recently been devoted to more ladylike dressing, turning out collections inspired by the founder’s earlier work and focusing on iconic styles such as its “bar” jacket and grand eveningwear. Dior presented his first collection in 1947.

Simons, too, has recently shown a fascination with midcentury couture, incorporating ballgowns — and even bridalwear — into recent collections, winning him rave reviews from fashion critics.

Simons has been on the radar of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, sister company of Dior, for some time. When Michael Kors wrapped up his stint as the designer of LVMH’s Celine house back in 2004, Simons was among candidates that advisers of luxury titan Bernard Arnault had been touting.

In recent years, Simons’ fashion star has continued to rise given a string of hit women’s shows for Sander. His spring-summer 2012 collection reimagined ideas from the Fifties into hyper-chic fashions for today.

According to sources, Simons had also been approached by Yves Saint Laurent, which has yet to indicate if it will extend its relationship with Stefano Pilati, who succeeded Tom Ford as the house’s chief designer in 2004. Pilati’s latest contract is due to expire in March.

Born in Neerpelt, Belgium, Simons moved to Genk and obtained a degree in industrial and furniture design in 1991. He segued from furniture into fashion and launched a youth-oriented, street-inspired collection of men’s wear in 1995.

He started showing it in Paris two years later, and quickly caused a sensation with his skinny tailoring, street casting, and such imposing runway venues such as La Grande Arche de la Défense.

A designer with an intellectual bent, Simons is also an enthusiastic fan of contemporary art — echoing Dior’s earlier background as an art dealer.

At Sander, he has elaborated on the German brand’s esthetic, adding dresses and eveningwear to its signature tailoring. “I knew in the long run I couldn’t only think about minimalism and purism,” he said in a 2008 interview.

For his spring 2011 collection, he invoked the grandeur of couture and the extravagant style of Elisabeth of Bavaria, the iconic royal, a riposte to other designers who had muscled in on minimalism. “It almost challenged me to the opposite, to do the idea of maximalism,” he told WWD at the time.

Earlier this year, Simons was an honoree at Fashion Group International’s Night of the Stars in New York.

Simons emerged as the new front-runner to succeed Galliano after talks to move Marc Jacobs over from Louis Vuitton came to a halt last month.

It is understood Dior has considered a wide swath of potential candidates, from young to mature talents, long insisting it would take all the time it needs to find a designer strongly matched to Dior’s DNA and ambitions.

wwd.com / december 13, 2011