Raf Simons is underway at Dior and the house is looking forward to the future, while Christian Louboutin has an answer for the women who say they can’t walk in high heels.
The Belgian designer was named artistic director at the fashion house earlier this month and the company are delighted to have him on board.
Christian Dior president and chief executive Sidney Toledano told WWD, ”It’s a very exciting time. I always said that the right person would come along when all the stars aligned and that’s exactly what happened last week.
”Simons has already begun to lay out his vision for where he can take Dior in the future and I think we are all very excited by that vision.”
Raf – who will show his first collection for Dior in July – recently insisted he is not limited to minimalism in his designs.
The former Jil Sander designer said, ”I don’t think it’s wrong to call me a minimalist. It’s wrong to call me a minimalist only.
”I am also a romantic person.
”I’m interested in creativity, the evolution of creativity and the relationship between creativity and the times we live in.
”When I’m married to a house, I will fully embrace its original intention, its original heritage and meaning. I wouldn’t go to that place if I only had minimalism in mind. I’m very aware of what the environment is about.”
The iconic cobbler says he has no sympathy for women who complain about wearing skyscraper heels because he once saw Tina Turner perform for three hours in Madison Square Garden in New York wearing his signature shoes.
He explained to Grazia magazine, ”I really have not so much sympathy. If Tina Turner and Prince’s back-up band can perform on stage in them for three hours, you can’t tell me they are impossible to walk in. High heels are pleasure with pain. If you can’t walk in them, don’t wear them.”
However, Christian believes heels for men are a step too far.
He said, ”Men in high heels? That’s a prosthesis. But I sympathise. Women have these giant heels. They get taller and taller. The men need help, but a man in heels is ridiculous.”
Christian is famed for the red soles of his shoes but has previously admitted his trademark happened by chance.
He said, ”This shoe arrived back from the factory but for some reason it didn’t look quite as good as my sketch. So I used a bottle of red polish to coat the underside of the shoe scarlet. Problem solved.”
