Take A Bow

Seeing Raf Simons cry during the finale of his final show for Jil Sander is making me weep uncontrollably. His exit didn't have the grandeur of Tom Ford's last show for Gucci; nor was it abrupt and scandalous as John Galliano's termination. The drama came from the tears of a talented designer who loves (and will clearly miss) his work. Watching a designer who cares so much is truly inspiring. Raf brought a new aesthetic to Jil Sander that was so natural and effortless that many of the brand's followers respected and adapted to it quickly - the rest of them who didn't quite agree will be appeased as Jil Sander herself will return to her eponymous brand to take lead. It will be interesting to see if she will carry on from her point of view forged years ago, or if she will continue to design around Raf's current vision which many have come to praise. There is no better person to follow Raf Simons than Jil Sander herself.

Rumor has it that Raf will take the job at Dior. His designs were a perfect fit for the modernity of Jil Sander, but I cannot wait to see what he will do with the heritage and flamboyancy associated with the French mega brand.

Another water-works inducing piece of news is the return of Hedi Slimane as creative director for Yves Saint Laurent. Stefano Pilati brought a darkness to YSL that I will miss, but I cannot tell you how much I have waited for Slimane's return to fashion! I was a fan when he was designing for YSL Rive Gauche, and clearly I and thousands more became disciples after his revolutionary work at Dior Homme. Slimane's leaving DH was a hard pill to swallow for so many because he would shockingly stop designing completely after less than fruitful talks with the corporate leaders about creative freedom. This return to fashion is so highly anticipated and I cannot wait to see how Slimane will design womenswear and how he may perhaps change YSL.

- jerome

Well It's About Time

The future home of the Dior Homme Flagship in Union Square, San Francisco
The rumors were true. A few years back, there was talk amongst the retail crowd in Union Square (San Francisco) of a Dior Homme opening on the top floor of the Dior Flagship. However, you can see that the entire store will be converted into a flagship store for the menswear division. Both Dior and Dior Homme are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, but an actual menswear store still makes more sense. There is a clear market for designer menswear in the city, frankly by the sheer number of fashionable gay men with large disposable incomes alone. On the other hand, there is not a large market for couture dresses and leather goods at French Maison price points, so like Yves Saint Laurent another one bites the dust. At least Dior is replacing their store with another flagship within the brand's family, while at the same time staying present (via wholesale and shop-in-shop locations) in a famous shopping area known for heavy foot traffic.

I suppose this was better late than never, but I really wish the conversion happened during Hedi Slimane's reign for Dior Homme. Kris Van Assche may finally have found his groove with the label these past seasons, but no one can ever replace Slimane's rock and roll chic, sartorial genius. Only time will tell if Van Assche's designs (or the fame garnered from Slimane's past work for the house) can keep the store open.

- jerome