RAF: WELCOME TO DIOR

DIOR Couture 2012. http://www.style.com

DIOR RTW Spring 2013. http://www.style.com

 There had already been a lot of water under the bridge since Galliano was unceremoniously dropped from the Dior label. Before Raf got his debut collection in the water at the couture shows in July, Galliano’s former right hand man Bill Gaytten had unleashed a Memphis inspired collection that nobody seemed to like, although now I wonder whether people may appreciate its trickle down and foresightedness with a little more appreciation.

Personally I liked it, but they obviously put the brakes on Gaytten after that one because until Raf, Dior was mostly treading water design wise. This was quite possibly a shrewd publicity stunt to build anticipation for whoever would take the helm in future, and of course once Raf was announced, anticipation built indeed to a fever pitch!

Raf has long been a fan of the cognisenti. An outsider and conceptualist,Raf had been at the avant gardfore front  of fashion menswear prior to his role designing at Jil Sander. Here his remarkable sense of proportion and structure was in complete harmony with the modernist,  minimal and clean heritage of the brand, taking it and himself to another level of recognition. Much had been made of his ‘trilogy’ collections before he left which reflected an interest of the haute couture shapes of the 1950’s, with particular reference to Dior himself. However much he may have been looking back however, it was evident that Raf was always moving forward, and so fused were the names Raf Simmons and Jil Sander, they could not be separated- Jil Sander had Become Raf Simmons, Raf Simmons had Become Jil Sander.

Then he hit Dior.

For me, this collection was a great let down. Now there were some very nice clothes in this collection, and I understand that maybe these are the ‘right’ clothes for today. But while the reviews for Raf’s debut Haute Couture collection were phenomenal; Tim Blanks wrote of him,

insinuated himself into the hallowed history of haute couture with a tour de force that had both emotional and intellectual resonance,

I really didn’t see anything fresh here. Bar jackets: check, strapless full skirted gowns: check. When it wasn’t directly 50’s silhouettes, it was a revision of his recent work at Jil Sander. Bar jacket over pants a-la Le-smoking very effective, but overall- does Raf have the technical background to fully utilize the most of the atelier at his disposal? That is the question I ask.

It was all just a bit too predictable to me, and by the time the RTW session came about I wondered if there as going to be any momentum forward. There wasn’t.

The problem was, the Couture collection already read as RTW anyway, so this was as going to be hard to separate. Many of the same shapes were of course here as to be expected. But where there was difference, it already seemed passé: colour blocking yes, great, as Raf has done before, but long, full, taffeta skirts- haven’t we already seen these from Marc Jacobs at LV an age ago? And metallic, electric fabrics- I think Christopher Bailey did it better at Burberry. 

Like I say, great clothes, and maybe,  for today’s world they are bang on the money. But if so then it is a shame, because to me, they are conservative and unimaginative. Compare to the collections of Dries van Noten and even Gaytten’s collection for the Galliano label of modern, contemporary cuts and combinations that look fresh and progressive. Raf had always pulled the past behind him in his pursuit of the future. I think that at this time the weight of a heritage brand that is Christian Dior, is anchoring him a little firmly in the past.

Raf has recently spoken of Galliano's irrelevance in fashion today, which quite naturally raised the ire of many longtime fans who rightly attribute Dior’s current status as largely due to his unique and innovative vision. Of course everyone has their moment when things come together; right ideas, right time, and right place; and for Galliano that time has probably passes. Raf too has already had his moments,; first in Menswear, then at Jil Sander, but I think before he starts shooting down his predecessors he should consider that once the hype burns down, the expectations will not. Galliano constantly reinvented the brand for over a decade- whether Raf has the legs to keep pushing forward is yet to be seen.