A New Hope

*but seriously this is Star Wars epic status

Raf Simons channels Christian Dior's iconic NEW LOOK for his Dior debut

The drama concludes (or has it just begun?) today, as the highly-anticipated Christian Dior couture debut of Raf Simons is revealed. The bloggers are already going absolutely insane with either high praise or high disapproval, but this review is solely my two cents on Mr. Simons' new collection.

Set in an abandoned mansion with five salons walled with reportedly a million flowers, a tailored black tuxedo suit appears on the curving marble runway. From the first look it is apparent that this is not a Galliano show - but that's okay! Because isn't the point of getting a new designer to go in a new direction? Or maybe that's just me.

Peplums and pants are my favorite silhouettes from the show

The channeling of New Look silhouettes is obvious, but Simons does it in a fresh way. Perhaps my favorite looks were the peplum tops, the nipped waists with these exaggerated skirts, all over straight-leg pants. I think those did the best job of utilizing New Look styles while going in a modern direction. This makes me eager to try my own oversized peplum/pants combo.

Now, a common complaint among bloggers is that Raf Simons doesn't "get" couture, or that this show lacked the theatricality of Galliano's couture shows. These complaints are silly for several reasons.

Red Carpet Ready

On the first point, about Simons not understanding the idea of couture (and by that they mean the clothes aren't over-the-top enough) nowhere in the Couture Regulations does it state that couture clothes require a certain amount of beads per square inch or a minimum of 20 yards of fabric per dress. People should also know that most other couturiers aren't nearly as flamboyant as Galliano or Lagerfeld. Look at Bouchra Jarrar who, as told by Nicole Phelps of style.com, "has yet to put a single beaded ball gown on her runway". Couture is about something more than elaborate sets and theatrics - it's about telling a story through beautiful clothing, about showcasing old-style sewing and designing.

On the second point, the whacky sets and over-the-top productions are fun and amusing but can be distracting, and the setting of this show was frankly stunning - beautiful but not so overwhelming that the staging overshadows the clothes.

I think Simons did an excellent job with this first couture collection (and his first ever collection for Dior, which is even more pressure!) and yes, he played it a bit safe with his heritage-based looks, but they were exquisite and flawless in their constructions. People miss Galliano and the excitement, but frankly, the hype that surrounded this presentation made it the most anticipated Dior show in a long while. Raf Simons is not John Galliano, and I am so totally fine with that.

Be sure to check back for more Fall 2012 Couture reviews and let me know what you thought about Raf Simons' debut at Christian Dior!

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The 'New Look' at Dior

RAF SIMONS, the new designer at CHRISTIAN DIOR; Alexander Klein/Agence France-Presse -Getty Images

As you probably already know from various sources, the New York Times has announced that Raf Simons (the until-recently head designer at Jil Sander) will take the reigns at Dior. The fashion world has been holding its breath as Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, the luxury fashion conglomerate that owns Christian Dior, has struggled to find a successor after former head designer John Galliano's much-publicized anti-Semitic remarks led to Galliano's termination last Spring.

Jil Sander Spring 2011 -style.com

Marc Jacobs was for a long time the obvious first choice, but he fell out of the running, along with several others, due to arguments over compensation. A few other names that have been named as possible successors: Alber Elbaz of Lanvin, Christian Lacroix, Haider Ackermann, Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, and those are only a handful of the speculated choices.

Simons was among the speculated group as well, though many considered his minimalist streak at Jil Sander to be conflicting with the opulence and extravagance of Dior and thus disregarded him as just another name thrown into the ring. I myself was rooting for Christian Lacroix, who seemed most fit to handle the couture aspect of Dior, and whose creations I have always found absolutely tantalizing, but it seems I have been mistaken.

While the fashion world eagerly waited, we entered into Fall 2012 Fashion Week, and the rumors began swirling once again. With Marc Jacobs out of the running by this point, Dior's mystery designer was anyone's guess. The recent shuffling around of designers from house to house added new names to the already long list of possibilities, and while Raf Simons was still one of the top contenders, he was only one in many names to be considered.

Then the news hit: three days before the Jil Sander Show, it was announced that Raf Simons had been fired and replaced by the brand's founder, who was staging a comeback. The Fall 2012 show, therefore, was bittersweet, as it was possibly Simon's best collection to date. At Jil Sander, Simons has become one of the leaders in minimalist fashions, and so it was somewhat shocking to see blush pinks, feminine cuts, and modest hemlines grace the catwalk. It was decidedly vintage and, looking back on it now, reminiscent of the "New Look" that Christian Dior himself made famous in 1947. Was Simons perhaps giving us a hint of what was yet to come?

Jil Sander Fall 2012 -style.com

With Simons out of a job and the Dior position still wide open, his name of course soared to the top of the list, and his latest collection sollidified the belief for many hopefuls that Raf Simons would be finally named the new head designer of Dior. Now, finally, we can rest peacefully knowing that Bill Gayten will not have to create another awful couture collection for the celebrated French couture house.

It will be quite interesting to see how Raf Simons manages to do couture, as the Fall 2012 Couture show will most likely be his first for Dior. Here's hoping for the best!

What are your thoughts on Raf for Dior?

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FW2012 Round Up

Sorry I've been MIA lately. It's just one of those stressful times again. Did you know that once you finish your college applications you aren't actually done with tireless applications? Because you have to fill out scholarship forms so you can actually pay for higher education...sorry for ranting. I'm done now.

Of course, if there's anything that can brighten my day, it's the beautiful shows of fall fashion week! I was delighted to see designers are back to having fun. Fall doesn't just mean black anymore. Colors are abundant, just in rich autumnal hues. Geometric prints will dominate stores come fall, as seen at Prada and Rochas. With the stunning success of The Artist and the upcoming The Great Gatsby redux, the twenties will once again be the golden era.

There were tears at Jil Sander when Raf Simons announced his departure, and applause at both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs shows for the absolutely stunning sets. And, for the first time in maybe all of history, Karl Lagerfeld added some color to his usual black and white ensemble.

Here they are, my personal favorite moments of all the fashion weeks.

Carven, the clothes of our dreams

Carven is one of those brands that always woos the twenty-something girl desperate for a dose of French chic because they make clothes that celebrate the fun of fashion. Once a girl passes the middle school threshold, it is officially acceptable to dress like a four-year-old again, and Carven totally gets this cutesy little girl style without losing any cool. The high collars and stiff cuffs are innocent enough, but the plunging necklines and cut-out shirts are anything but. Every girl's dream.

Let's Put on a Show

From Top: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marc Jacobs

Fashion shows have evolved in the past few years. The internet has given them an unprecedented instantaneous, and now you don't even have to be part of the sartorial aristocracy to enjoy shows as they happen. Due to the widespread publicity of fashion shows these days, designers have revolutionized shows so that they are not just boring catwalks but full-on Broadway-worthy productions. The more elaborate the stage, the better. Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld have managed to master this art of stage decoration, but many other designers are hopping on the stage production (no pun intended, Marc Jacobs) train. While some argue that the costs of these shows is highly excessive, the artistic side of me feels that these sets add a whole new level to the ideas of a collection.

New City, New Energy

Moschino Cheap & Chic has been one of my favorite diffusion brands for a while, because the brand captures all the energy of it's parent, but with the youthfulness that attracts a younger, more colorful crowd. So it seemed perfectly natural for Cheap & Chic to move to London Fashion Week, where neon and cheeky prints are everyday fare. The brand succeeded in capturing the heart of its new city, as the collection got stellar reviews. Katy Perry has already been seen sporting a look from the collection only days after it showed, if that is any indication of the line's success.

The King of Kolor

That's right, I just Kardashian-ized the word color, or should I say, Karl-ized? But seriously, was anyone else as shocked as I was to see Uncle K don blue and purple, two colors that are not black nor white!?

Second Time's the Charm

The problem with Chloe and I, I've recently figured out, is that the first collection I really ever noticed of Chloe's was the Spring 2007 show, which was decidedly ornate for Chloe, and because I've only recently really understood the more minimalist side of fashion, Chloe has long since been a favorite of mine. When I scanned through the Fall 2012 show, however, I was instantly delighted to see that I truly enjoyed what Clair Waight Keller put out for her second collection for the brand. The soft colors and mixed proportions were absolutely lovely. Of course, it was the twisted one-shoulder gown at the end that really did me in.

The Tearful Goodbye

The Jil Sander show was, as it has been for several years now, one of the strongest of the season, and I personally was so delighted with the pale pinks and fifties silhouettes that I was promptly devastated when I heard the news that Raf Simons, the man behind Jil Sander for the past seven years, was leaving the brand. The plot thickens: Raf is now fending off rumors left and right that he will be the new creative director at Dior, and many insiders are speculating that Jil herself may be returning to her namesake brand. Raf will be missed, but we know he's going to do tremendously well wherever he goes.

So you may be asking 'Lindsey, what was your favorite show of the season?' Well, wonderful blog reader, I cannot say quite yet. These things take time. I've certainly fallen in love with many new dresses, but collections as a whole? Usually I hate Miu Miu now and then by the time Fall comes around I'm worshiping at Miuccia's feet, so we'll have to wait and see as we draw closer and closer to fall. Oh, how strange the fashion world is, that spring has not even officially started yet and still I'm yearning for one of Cheap & Chic's technicolor furs?

(all images from style.com)

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