Paris Couture Week: Raf Simons showcases dazzling Dior collection

Paris Couture Week may have peaked early thanks to Dior's Raf Simons who staged a blockbuster on the first full day of the showcase.
Hello yellow: Raf Simons for Dior's Fall-Winter 2014-2015 Haute Couture collection
Karen Dacre7 July 2014

Paris Couture Week may have peaked early thanks to Dior's Raf Simons who staged a blockbuster on the first full day of the showcase.

Cementing his position as the world's most exciting couture designer, the Belgian delighted those in attendance, including Dior ambassador Charlize Theron, with a showcase which seemed to offer something to every single one of his high paying clients.

Staged in acts, this mammoth collection saw the designer toy with a host of historical reference points in a bid to find a fresh new path for the Dior brand. "I was interested in finding something extremely modern, through something very historical," said Simons in his collection notes.

Brand ambassador: Charlize Theron sparkled in gold

It was a clever starting point, albeit a slghtly puzzling paradox, which seemed entirely irrelevant as soon as the first set of models took their turn on the catwalk. After all, Simons doesn't deal in gimmicks but in beautiful clothes - always magnificently crafted and never without brave contemporary appeal.

A series of smooth puff ball gowns, designed to reflect the traditional dresses of 18th century France served as a sweet spot in a show which was delectable throughout. Crafted from glimmering jacquard, the gowns were perhaps the most conventional couture pieces in a collection in which the designer also unveiled oversized Edwardian coats and flight suits, updated for the high-flying customer with delicate hand embroidery and tafetta trims.

Since arriving at Dior two years ago, artistic director Simons has been praised for his dedication to enticing a new customer to the French fashion institution whilst retaining its life long supporters.

This latest production served as a masterful display of this skill. From the swinging flapper dresses, presented in 2014 with splashes of colour and a looser, more masculine silhouette, to modernised bar-jackets, brought up to date with a hefty dose of volume, this was a collection with which Dior looked to the future whilst clinging affectionately to its past.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in