Dior and I

I'm a huge fan of John Galliano, previously creative director of Christian Dior. So you can imagine my shock and sadness of his sudden departure from the luxury fashion house 3 years ago. But in fashion, things change people move around and everyone adapts. When Raf Simmons was appointed the new designer for Dior, I'm not going to lie, I was extremely surprised and a little apprehensive. Here you have a minimalist, modern man who worked wonders at Jil Sander take the reigns of one of the most respected and renowned fashion brands in the world - Dior. But a few seasons on and I've got used to him and the 'new look' he has given the brand (excuse the pun). Of course he's never going to be another Galliano, that era has come and gone. Raf represents the new Dior. 

So as I sat down to watch the fashion documentary 'Dior and I' directed by Frederic Tcheng, I was determined to keep an open outlook on what I was about to see. Tcheng previously directed the acclaimed 'Valentino: The Last Emperor' and this docu-movie covers the same sort of ground. The film which came out in April 2015, was cited as a big success by critics and fashion magazines alike and was credited for a wonderful inside peak at what goes on behind closed doors at Dior. And I have to say, the reviews were spot on. 

If you haven't seen 'Dior and I' yet, I suggest you watch it. Even if you don't have a huge interest in fashion it doesn't matter. The film touches on everything you expect from a multi billion dollar brand; business, international clients, textiles, Haute Couture and of course an exciting and in depth history of Christian Dior itself. The movie charts the change over the brand faced with a new creative director and the way in which he had to fit into the Dior design team and world of couture. It's clear at the beginning of the film how overwhelmed Raf is at the prospect of presenting his first Dior couture collection in a matter of 8 weeks. As a man who has only ever known ready to wear, its understandable how daunting and scary upgrading to the beautiful and expensive world of Haute Couture is. 


Throughout the film you get an amazing, in depth glance into the way in which a fashion brand is run leading up to a major collection. This one is Raf Simmons first for Christian Dior - autumn/winter 2012 Haute Couture. Everything from the design inspirations to the handiwork which goes into the creations of these elegant clothes is covered in detail, which I found particularly interesting. Even if you aren't too interested in fashion, you've got to respect and admire the amount of blood, sweat and tears (literally - Raf cries at the end due to the strain of the job) that go into a luxury fashion house like Dior. The seamstresses and tailors are clearly experts at what they do and spend hours and hours working extra time to get garments finished and attend to VIP customers who purchase obscene amounts of Couture every season. You see the dilemmas and problems faced by the small design team as well as the amazing finished pieces, which are so breathtaking you just have to drool over them. It's fair to say that if you are creative director of any brand, your task is not an easy one. Right from the get go, Raf is put in a position of leadership and pressure, a lot of pressure. His struggle to speak French to his team is just one of his early problems, as well as the vast scale of work that goes into a house like Dior. All eyes are on him and the pressure is on! 

Overall, it's really a fantastic watch and I would highly recommend seeing it. I have come to understand that not everyone is like Galliano and people work in different ways creatively. Raf Simmons has indeed earn't my respect and admiration, even though I am still not a huge fan of his minimalist approach to Dior. Yet the effort and love he has for fashion and Dior is touching and special, and I truly believe he will g down as a great in terms of Dior's history.