By Stanley Lui

In his debut Haute Couture collection as the Creative Director for Christian Dior, Raf Simons reinteprets the concepts found in the archival clothing designs drawn by Christian Dior himself during his time at the house of Dior.

Showcasing the marks of the foundations of the brand, the couture collection merges the history of Dior with modern attitudes. Set in a stunning floral cocoon, the fashion show was attended by many prominent figures from the fashion industry the likes of designers such as Marc Jacobs, Alber Elbaz and Diane von Furstenberg, Anna Dello Russo as well as Anna Wintour herself who were all spotted sitting on the front row. 

Raf Simons takes on the design principles established by Mr Dior with the idea to make Haute Couture more dynamic and yet not over the top.

Building further on architectural symbolism such as “the Bar”, Mr Simons geared towards the construction of the jacket into other garments with silhouettes of the collection relating to the idea of Christian Dior’s “New Look” which first came about on the 12th of February 1947 when Mr Dior presented his first couture collection. It became an instant success then and was dubbed the ‘New Look’ for its voluptuous silhouette and luxurious fabrics.

"Mr Dior was a supreme architect of pattern," says Simons. "He could construct something so prefect and yet he would often throw in a gesture on purpose to break that perfection. He would make what he did human for the wearer. You could tell he loved women in that way, in that incredible gestural way."

This is one of the ways Christian Dior’s "Flower Women" (which was the way Mr Dior referred to his "New Look" silhouettes and attitude, belying his constant obsession with flowers), become contemporary through the current collection while staying in tune with the history of the house. 

By moving away from the traditional symbolism found in the couture bouquet to something akin to a more stripped and linear construction, the architecture of flowers is analyzed. Focusing not just on the decoration but on the actual construction and the shape of the fabrics, Raf Simons reinforces the Christian Dior idea of a more architectural approach in couture creation, together with the very basic, human element of functionality mixed the intense use of new colors.

Perhaps the contemporary flower woman is seen at her dearest and most dramatic in the patterned ball-gowns from the archives, but Raf Simons has had the original silhouette sliced and shortened to from a short mini-dress or a top to be paired with simple black cigarette pants.

The upper half of the silhouette remains the same, untouched, while the bottom half reflects the more casual and free-moving existence of today.

"Couture is not only about working on the shape the attitude and the color in a new way," stated Raf Simons.

"The Haute Couture collection is also about working on new forms with the industry that is related to Couture as a whole, working with them in a new way. It is an established industry with craftspeople that are beyond compare, but is it not just about reaching for a typical satin duchesse, a silk or tulle but the development of new fabrications and new forms with them.”

By displacing the architectural construction of the fabric to other parts of the body, Mr Simons has recreated this 'New Look' with modern architectural motifs that becomes a gestural signature of the current Creative Director.

See more photos from the fashion show here: //senatus.net/album/view/6985/
See more photos from the backstage here: //senatus.net/album/view/7229/