La Parisienne

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Glad you both like Mr Simons' designs. His collections are not theatrical. Raf Simons' focus in changing the face of Dior is to make it a brand that is "worn on the street". The move contrasts strongly to predecessor John Galliano's dramatic aesthetic - a style, the Belgian designer says, that Christian Dior himself would not have been happy with. "Dior's ultimate obsession is that he wanted [the public] to wear it. I want them to wear it on the street," he told Vogue UK.

Raf Simons is showing more of himself at Dior, and the view is splendid. While still respecting the codes of the house, for fall Simons flexed many of his own signatures more obviously than in his debut collection — a move essential in the evolution of Dior as a storied house with plenty to say to the modern consumer. For starters, his set — countless enormous mirrored spheres reflecting the floor, painted sky blue with fluffy white clouds — recalled the spring 1999 men’s show Simons presented in front of the sphere-shaped La Geode at the “Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie.” This time around, the space enveloped the audience in a dreamlike world that was a little surrealist, a little weird and quite mesmerizing. It also had an arty appeal, which was key. Simons based the collection on similarities he identified between Christian Dior and himself, specifically their mutual interest in art and their retro inclinations, which Simons called “a natural falling in love” with a past era. “In [Dior’s] case, it was the Belle Epoque and in my case, midcentury,” he said backstage before the show, sitting in one of the navy velvet Jean Royère wing chairs that outfitted his elegant makeshift receiving room. “It’s not specifically about the era; it’s about the process of allowing for yourself the freedom to go back to the period.” This led to the notion of memories and approaching a collection as one might a scrapbook. The ruse proved both beautiful and savvy, allowing Simons to present unlike concepts with cohesion. The lack of grand eveningwear was noticeable; for this season at least, that’s the domain of couture alone. Here, Simons kept his focus squarely on the accessible side of chic. His lineup swung between elegant tailoring and looks with less obvious construction. When delivering the former, he made clear archival references, particularly with big, swingy coats and jackets, but dared to temper the homage for the sake of currency. Case in point: The denim pantsuit with a jacket that whispered rather than screamed “Bar.” There were gorgeous coats, some with major flourish — a dramatic self-scarf at the neck or big artfully constructed bow in back — and others, far more low key. A stunning mink clutch coat felt very Dior — even as the mental bells went off recalling the designer’s last collection for Jil Sander. As for the “memory dresses,” they were offbeat knockouts: Twenties-inspired shapes etched with seemingly random motifs from the history of Dior as well as redos of early drawings by Andy Warhol, done under agreement with the artist’s foundation. One beauty, an airy strapless, featured Warhol’s “Unidentified Female,” a faintly drawn portrait, adorned with vibrant flowers. For less ethereal types, how about the chunky cable knit reimagined as a chichi skirt with big, fluffy peplum? Among Simons’ most obvious homage: a redux of the famous 1949 Miss Dior dress, a demure party frock covered in embroidered flowers. Only Simons cast his take all in black leather. A little reverence wrapped in edge — Dior’s future looks as bright as the vibrant blue sky behind those reflected pristine clouds. Source: wwd.com

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February 28, 2013 PARIS By Nicole Phelps Katia and Marielle Labèque performed "Two Movements for Two Pianos" by Philip Glass on side by side grand pianos at the Nina Ricci show tonight. It was tempting to sit transfixed as their fingers flew up and down the keys, but if you did that you missed a good collection from Peter Copping. It was inspired, he said, by a David Hamilton-lensed 1970s Ricci campaign featuring dancers, which led Copping to latch on to the idea of performers and spectators. Both groups led him to play to his strengths. Over the last few seasons, Copping has made a concerted effort to expand Nina Ricci's daywear offerings. His special little sweaters have become favorites among those in the know. Here, he riffed on warm-up clothes, layering knits of different gauges one on top of the other, and leaving the ribbon at the nape of a sweater untied as a ballerina would. The portrait neckline of a skirtsuit was draped with extra sleeves, like a sweatshirt tied around the shoulders; another jacket paired high-low style with quilted sweatpants that had a genuinely relaxed feel. Parkas also made their first appearance on the Ricci runway, the best in red wool with opera-coat lines and a fox-fur-trimmed hood. The evening fare felt more familiar: slipdresses patchworked from silk and lace; slightly askew, asymmetrically draped cocktail numbers. A few other dresses in duchesse satin were nipped and tucked and draped with an offhand virtuosity to create three-dimensional roses in the fabric. Particularly charming was a long black dress with a deep slit in back that revealed its ballerina-pink lining.

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