New Dior Book Chronicles the Raf Simons Years
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PAST AND FUTURE: A new coffee table book chronicles Raf Simons’ three-year tenure at Dior, when his creations fused the French fashion house’s heritage with his streamlined cuts and taste for adventurous materials.
The 344-page tome, published by Assouline, is the sixth volume in the series that Dior is releasing chronicling each creative director of the brand. Its cover features a lipstick red coat, inspired by Dior’s signature Bar jacket, from Simons‘ fall 2012 haute couture collection, described by WWD as “one of the most highly anticipated designer debuts ever.”
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Written by fashion journalist Tim Blanks, the tome features photographs by Laziz Hamani alongside images by the likes of Tim Walker, Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh, Willy Vanderperre and Sarah Moon.
The introduction describes the Belgian designer’s upbringing in the small town of Neerpelt where he was starved of distractions, except for a record store that proved instrumental in finding kindred spirits. Television provided a gateway to fashion through programs like CNN’s “Style with Elsa Klensch.”
Simons moved to Genk and obtained a degree in industrial and furniture design in 1991. Drawn to the energy of the Antwerp Six, who put Belgium on the international fashion map, he interned for Walter Van Beirendonck, who took him to Paris, where Simons had his fashion epiphany at a Martin Margiela show.
His eponymous label, launched in 1995 and shuttered last year, turned him into a cult designer in menswear, with creations that melded symbols of counterculture with reinterpretations of uniforms. Pieces from Simons’ early years often fetch high prices on resale sites and during auctions.
From 1997 onwards, his shows in Paris caused a sensation with his skinny tailoring, street casting and imposing runway venues such as La Grande Arche de la Défense.
The designer made his womenswear debut at Jil Sander, where he was artistic director from 2005 to 2012. During his tenure, he presented a trilogy of collections inspired by the codes of haute couture.
Detail of look 14, ensemble consisting of a top in embroidered pale blue façonné taffeta and trousers in pale blue taffeta,
haute couture fall 2014. Dior Héritage collection, Paris.
A darling of critics and editors, prized for his exacting silhouettes and obsession with the here-and-now, Simons succeeded John Galliano at Dior after the British designer’s antisemitic comments and subsequent downfall. Simons brought a gust of modernity to the house, sweeping aside the retro-tinged glamour Galliano had plied over a stellar 15-year tenure.
He frequently referenced iconic designs like the Bar jacket, as well as floral motifs — but abstracted them and indulged his predilection for minimalism and futurism. “I’m not romantic about the past, I’m romantic about the future,” he once said.
Simons also cultivated references to the passions he shared with founder Christian Dior, including nature and gardens, as well as design and art. His collections for the house referenced artists including Andy Warhol and Sterling Ruby, translating the latter’s spray-painted canvases into duchess satin dresses.
His decision to leave the brand sent shockwaves through the industry, suggesting that designers of Simons’ generation were not willing to bend unthinkingly to the demands — and constraints — of mammoth global brands.
“I’m questioning a lot,” Simons said just before his last Dior show, referring to the palpable sense that the pace of fashion and the overheated runway system had reached a volatile tipping point. “I feel a lot of people are questioning. We have a lot of conversation about it: Where is it going? It’s not only the clothes. It’s the clothes, it’s everything, the Internet.”
Following a three-year tenure at Calvin Klein, Simons was named co-creative director of Prada, where he has worked in partnership with Miuccia Prada since 2020. “Dior Raf Simons 2012-2015,” available in English or French, will be released worldwide on May 23. It retails for 195 euros, or $195.
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