Dior design team steps up to the mark at Paris Fashion Week with an invigorating show featuring Kendall Jenner

The collection was a pleasant surprise to those who expect a fashion house to flounder during a time of unrest
Karen Dacre7 March 2016

Four months after the departure of its revered artistic director, Dior presented its latest ready to wear collection in Paris today.

Still mourning the loss of Raf Simons, who left the house abruptly in October citing a decision to focus on other things, the Dior team set out to celebrate the essence of the French fashion house which focused on the things it does best.

In the charge of head designers Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier, caretakers at the brand in lieu of a new leader, Dior presented a love letter to its most iconic and celebrated design staples.

Accordingly, the show began with Christian Dior’s beloved bar jacket and served as a homage to the shape, with bars in a host of shades including acid yellow and floral print velvet among this collection’s focal points.

Dior at Paris Fashion Week AW16

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It seemed Ruffieux and Meier were keen to tell the world that Dior’s legacy was safe in their hands.

Embroidered wool dresses, nipped in at the waist and trimmed with ornate embellishment, confirmed this. As did a series of brocade pencil skirts which could only have looked more at home in a Dior collection had Monsieur Dior designed them himself.

But this was no history lesson, with Simon's quest for modernity very much visible here too.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Pioneering a new neckline, roll necks slashed at the front to form oversized collars came layered underneath brocade jackets and sloppy wool overcoats.

Shoulders also became a point of interest with pretty bardot dresses - sliced across the breastbone and inset with vibrant prints - among this collection's strengths. The result was a presentation that invigorated.

While rumours regarding Simons replacement continue to circle within the fashion industry, today’s showcase served as proof that two of the house’s leading designers are more than up to the challenge of creating a collection that pushes Dior forward while simultaneously tending to its past.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

This was a fact compounded by the number of handbags in this collection - some models carried three at one time.

Under no illusions as to what it is that keeps tills running in Dior stores across the globe, the house unveiled a moveable feast for accessory lovers with handbags, jewellery and sunglasses aplenty on offer.

Keen to appeal to the fashion shopper, cuff earrings and single drop earrings featured throughout. The designers also unveiled a portfolio style handbag.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

The collection, a polished, well executed production by an experienced design team, served as a pleasant surprise to those who expect a fashion house to flounder during a time of unrest.

It also served as a commendable job interview for Ruffieux and Meier who have not been ruled out of Dior’s leadership race. While Dior bosses remain tightlipped regarding Simons replacement, an announcement is expected imminently.

Earlier this week the house announced plans to unveil its cruise collection in the UK where it will do so under the direction of a new creative director.

A show staged at Blenheim Palace - a venue loved by Christian Dior who staged two catwalk shows at the Duke of Marlborough's residence during his lifetime - is scheduled to take place on May 31.

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