Dior names Raf Simons artistic director
After more than a year of speculation the most high profile vacancy in fashion has at last been filled - the Belgian designer Raf Simons has been announced as the new artistic director at the Parisian fashion house.In a short statement on Monday the brand said it welcomed its new designer with tremendous excitement.Simons will replace the disgraced John Galliano who was dismissed from Dior in March 2011 following an antisemitic rant that was caught on camera. Galliano was subsequently convicted of antisemitism and Bill Gaytten, Dior's studio head who had worked with Galliano for several years, took up a caretaker role at the brand.The appointment of Simons comes after an extended period of treading water for Dior whilst its chief executive Sidney Toledano and Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH - the conglomerate which owns Dior, took their time to search for a suitable successor. For a while the US designer Marc Jacobs was considered the clear favourite until talks apparently stalled over money.The Galliano scandal meanwhile did not affect Dior's shoes revenues, but Gaytten's period of stewardship never received much more than lukewarm reviews from the industry.Simons, 44, hails from Antwerp and until recently was designer at the minimalist label Jil Sander. He was sacked during Milan fashion week in February to make way for Jil Sander herself to return. His dismissal was met with regret from the fashion industry who gave his final show a standing ovation.But the rumours were already circulating. His last three collections for Jil Sander hinted at the designer's interest in couture shapes and mid-century modernist designs - the period when the Dior brand was founded.In an interview with the New York Times on Monday, Simons reportedly said For me the strongest impact is the first 10 years of Dior and how to link that to the 21st century. He also admitted that he was excited by the prospect of designing for the couture market, something he hasn't done before.The appointment is likely to be extremely well received by the fashion industry. As the news broke, social media sites such as Twitter buzzed with excited reaction from an industry caught off guard by the timing of the news.Simons is not one to court the media but is highly influential nonetheless. His minimalist aesthetic and use of vibrant colour has had a huge impact on the British high street in recent years. His shows for Jil Sander were universally judged one of the highlights during the month long circuit of catwalk shows. It is believed that he will still be able to design for his eponymous menswear label, though he will face major challenges as creative head of an expanding global brand.His debut collection will be during couture fashion week in Paris in July.
