Raf Simons says it with flowers, debuting at Dior
PARIS: Say it with flowers. That was the clear message from new designer Raf Simons in his 1950s-tinged haute couture debut for Christian Dior.
When the normally exuberant house first hired the Belgian designer, known for his minimalist and linear style, it raised eyebrows.
But Monday's show will win many over. He revitalized with panache the curved Dior ''flower women'' silhouette.
It's what Christian Dior, the man, used to describe his revolutionary 1947 New Look of cinched waists and full skirts that resembled inverted flowers. One thing's clear: Simons has done his homework.
In the four months since being named creative director, he's delved deep into the house's archives. The result: a strong show in homage to Dior's love of flowers, but never a servile one.Simons owned it.
Fifty four diverse looks paraded through several sweet-scented salons, wall-to-wall in myriad multi-colored flowers. The first pieces were among the strongest.
