Christian Dior

“The hardest thing to realize in fashion is that the future lies in the past. The second hardest thing is to forget the past. That precise turn of mind is what Raf Simons showed in his first collection for Dior, the high point of the fall haute couture shows. In almost every one of the 54 outfits, in the purposeful use of craft, Mr. Simons made a link to the modernity and energy that Christian Dior brought to fashion right after World War II. Those themes included sculptural lines, ravishing color, a preference for pockets, a sense of chic femininity but also ease. Mr. Simons then put those ideas through his own filter. The collection was beautiful, modest and thoroughly engaging.” —Cathy Horyn, The New York Times

“The collection was not only beautiful but the work of an already-established fashion star imposing his own brilliant aesthetic upon an iconic legacy without a trace of intimidation. This allows Dior to move on finally and definitively from one magical chapter in its history — and at their height, the Galliano years were magical — with every indication of another commencing. Bravo, Raf. Congratulations, Dior.” —Bridget Foley, WWD

Buzz Words:
quietly referential ode, artful simplicity, fairy-tale beauty, ravishing symphony, singularly wearable, vision of restrained contemporary elegance, idiosyncratic color sense, lightness of touch, sumptuous, unforced elegance, quietly dazzling, subtle drama, authoritative, chic, superbly plain, so simple, magisterial, unusually heightened sense of focus, innate compatibility, an appropriate balance of reverence and iconoclasm, athletic ease, grandeur, timeless allure, gorgeous architectural abstraction of nature, the perfect mix, fuss-free, buzzing with a youthful energy, finely balanced, modernist élan, understated chic, thoroughly of today, great beauty, faultless presentation, convincing, triumphant, revitalized with panache, such freshness, extremely hopeful, subtle, magical, distinct architecture, richly embroidered, austere, blending of the past and the present, strong lines, intricate, show-stopping, decidedly architectural look, sumptuous understatement, flirtatious, curvaceous, hyper-feminine, deluxe, simple yet feminine, spectacular, triumphant and theatrical entrance, beautiful, sophisticated, and restrained, vivid color, elegant shape, deceptive simplicity of form, fresh and modern, so modern and so clean, perfect balance, skillful tailoring, fresh, sharply pared-down shapes, fully modern wear, lovely, unfussy exercises in pretty, really beautiful, a celebration of femininity, of beauty, of boldness and of elegance, unimpeachable, an uncanny display of fashion world wonder, high chic, sharp modernity, sleek and adult, not only modern but more youthful, fierce focus on construction, subtly of detail, glorious reality, a dream come true