Raf Simons had a lot of us wondering why he chose Tokyo to stage the brand's first ever Pre-Fall show. Christian Dior's past relationship with Japan ( he designed Princess Michiko's civil wedding ceremony dresses and had a strong penchant for Japanese art) along with the fact Raf Simons himself has catered to many Japanese clients in the nineties for his namesake brand made the connection between Dior and Japan crystal clear. Furthermore, according to the press notes, Tokyo has served has a constant inspiration to him. "Particularly in terms of the liberty people take
for themselves in how they dress, there is nowhere else like it; the freedom of styles, the new architecture of clothing that you can see forming in the street as well as in city’s fashion design history… It’s a place that is both extreme and exhilarating," adds the designer.
Adding to that, there is also the business perspective. In an article published by The Business Of Fashion, Sidney Toledano (CEO of Christian Dior) states "Japanese are still wealthy. Despite the current recession and the high national debt, the Japanese have accumulated great savings and like to invest in luxury and high quality products.” He also says "Women in Japan are getting less conservative and the spenders are definitely younger. They are more savvy about quality and products, and that’s where we want to position Dior: a more dynamic, futuristic, high quality brand.” All these factors combined made Japan the ideal destination for the show.
The collection was one that displayed sheer brilliance as always. Forget the glitzy red carpet gowns. Here, it was glamour meets utilitarian meets a little bit of manga. The BAR coat was revisited in various fabrics like waxed cotton, distressed leather and wool with a slightly oversized silhouette, but nipped at the waist showcasing a modernised version of the New Look. The sleeveless mink fur vests would create a void in the hearts of many as would the coat in metallic silver leather and brown Astrakhan. Zip up dresses with a bit of a flare were glamorous but had an everyday appeal at the same time. Mini dresses in plaid and Fair Isle sweaters proved an undeniable English/Scottish influence on the collection. My favourites were without a doubt the sequin covered, skin tight polo neck tops that were seen in almost every look. They not only added sparkle but had this space age feel to them. You can add the paillettes covered Fair Isle sweater dress and the relaxed sleeveless sweaters, to the favourites list too. Finally, there were some seriously covetable accessories here too - Sculptural platform boots, futuristic sunglasses, chunky jewellery and some to die for handbags that are bound to be on every diva's wish list.
Trust Raf to continue liberating women and now girls (yes, girls!) too season after season. So few do utilitarian glamour the way he does it. J'adore.
Please enjoy some photos from the show below or click here to see the entire collection.
for themselves in how they dress, there is nowhere else like it; the freedom of styles, the new architecture of clothing that you can see forming in the street as well as in city’s fashion design history… It’s a place that is both extreme and exhilarating," adds the designer.
Adding to that, there is also the business perspective. In an article published by The Business Of Fashion, Sidney Toledano (CEO of Christian Dior) states "Japanese are still wealthy. Despite the current recession and the high national debt, the Japanese have accumulated great savings and like to invest in luxury and high quality products.” He also says "Women in Japan are getting less conservative and the spenders are definitely younger. They are more savvy about quality and products, and that’s where we want to position Dior: a more dynamic, futuristic, high quality brand.” All these factors combined made Japan the ideal destination for the show.
The collection was one that displayed sheer brilliance as always. Forget the glitzy red carpet gowns. Here, it was glamour meets utilitarian meets a little bit of manga. The BAR coat was revisited in various fabrics like waxed cotton, distressed leather and wool with a slightly oversized silhouette, but nipped at the waist showcasing a modernised version of the New Look. The sleeveless mink fur vests would create a void in the hearts of many as would the coat in metallic silver leather and brown Astrakhan. Zip up dresses with a bit of a flare were glamorous but had an everyday appeal at the same time. Mini dresses in plaid and Fair Isle sweaters proved an undeniable English/Scottish influence on the collection. My favourites were without a doubt the sequin covered, skin tight polo neck tops that were seen in almost every look. They not only added sparkle but had this space age feel to them. You can add the paillettes covered Fair Isle sweater dress and the relaxed sleeveless sweaters, to the favourites list too. Finally, there were some seriously covetable accessories here too - Sculptural platform boots, futuristic sunglasses, chunky jewellery and some to die for handbags that are bound to be on every diva's wish list.
Trust Raf to continue liberating women and now girls (yes, girls!) too season after season. So few do utilitarian glamour the way he does it. J'adore.
Please enjoy some photos from the show below or click here to see the entire collection.
