I have doubts, such Dior doubts...

Like a merry-go-round rumours are still circulating on who should become the new creative director at Dior. Many designers have been mentioned, and one time too many Riccardo Tisci has been unofficially confirmed as successor to the Dior Thrown. It will probably take up some more time before Dior will be able to appoint a successor officially.

In the mean time these are some of the possibilities:

1.   Riccardo Tisci (currently at Givenchy): Whilst Dior has a more glamorous romantic touch I believe Tisci gives Givenchy a more edged and a darker romantic feeling. Obviously he has a lot of experience with (successful) Haute Couture, but nevertheless I wonder if he would be up to it.

2.   Tom Ford (currently only owning his own label): He was very successful at Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. But for some reason (with many speculations about the why’s and why not’s) it eventually never really worked out at YSL.(when the master himself was still alive). So I wonder if he could combine making all decisions at his own label with having less liberty at Dior. From what I have read and seen, he is quite the control-freak.

3.   Alber Elbaz (currently at Lanvin): Why Alber would leave Lanvin is beyond me. So I can not possible imagine him starting at Dior. Don’t get me wrong, he would definitely be able to make it work, but he’s just doing so splendidly at Lanvin (with every collection being a huge success and him being loved by the media), that there is no reason for him to leave a brand that he’s has helped to rejuvenate tremendously.

4.   Hedi Slimane (former Dior Homme designer): He has had a wonderful career designing the men’s collection for Dior, so he would definitely have a positive image playing in his advantage and he knows the company. Although he has an impressive résumé, he has never really designed women’s collections. Nevertheless, I believe he would be up for the job.

5.    Marc Jacobs:  (Currently designer of his own label Marc Jacobs, and Marc by Marc Jacobs + creative director at Louis Vuitton). I believe this little enumeration says. Indeed he generates media frenzy, gives hugely covered shows, and probably produces an insane cash flow, so does he really have to take over at Dior. He is LMVH’s money-maker, protected by Anna Wintour, and the king at one of the most recognisable brands in the world. Dior and LV are on the same level, so why would he switch positions?

6.   Phoebe Philo: (Currently Creative Director at Céline) Philo has worked wonders (it has become a very attractive brand) at Céline and was awarded Designer of the year 2010 at the British Fashion Awards, but there is a big discrepancy between Dior and Céline. There’s an extreme difference in style, and Dior is a King-Size company. The association between Dior and Philo feels kind of strange to me.

7.   Nicolas Ghesquière: (Currently at Balenciaga) Same story as Phoebe Philo, he has made Balenciaga into a very attractive and artistic brand. He’s modern and can probably handle haute couture well. Again, Dior is a brand of more monumental proportions. Besides I really believe he feels connected to Balenciaga, so why should he leave?

8.   Sarah Burton: (Currently at Alexander McQueen) She’s the successor to Alexander McQueen, gifted with many talents, she has proven her craftsmanship as a true couturier. I believe her mission is to keep her master’s legacy going. I don’t think she can be tempted to move over to Dior.

9.   Haider Ackermann: (Currently designing for his own label) In a spontaneous moment Karl Lagerfeld revealed he wants Haider Ackermann to be his successor at Chanel. What may or may not be the truth behind these remarks, I believe he would make a great alternative to the Kaiser. But we mustn’t forget, Kaiser Karl has the gift of eternal life. Ackermann for Chanel, not Dior.

10. Rodarte: (Currently designing for their own label) Personally I hadn’t heard that the Rodarte Sisters we’re being considered for the position at Dior. The Rodarte brand has only seen the light of day since 2005. Another example of the new generation of NY-designers backed-up by Anna Wintour. Although they come up with great designs, I do not see a fairly new NY-based duo take over at a French fashion house founded in 1946. 

People I do not see on this list (possibly because I could only see a snapshot of the list because I do not have a subscription to WWD magazine) and that I believe are plausible as well, are Olivier Theyskens and Christian Lacroix. They are very talented, and should definitely be considered. Theyskens (a fellow Belgian) has been working as a private couturier since the late 90’s, and has designed successful collections at Rochas and Nina Ricci. He has a strong vision and nose for Haute Couture, so he would certainly fit in the bigger picture. My all time favourite for the position remains Christian Lacroix. It a shame his glorious garments have been missing on the face of fashion since he’s brand failed to get bought out of bankruptcy in 2010. He has been making couture for over 20 years and he has always been capable of creating a sort of romantic exuberance, the same atmosphere that can be found at Dior. It is possible that in light of the recent scandals Dior wants their image adapted a little bit, and maybe Lacroix and his designs wouldn’t be the best to sail a changing course.

To end this Dior-entry, a lovely, not totally unrelated video clip featuring Kate Moss for the new Dior addict lipstick. Released by Dior for about a week now, I really had a funny moment seeing this video for the first time. A lot of the comments were about her age. Most people questioned if she wasn’t a bit too old to be doing these sorts of commercials. But a lot of the comments were in a sort of slang-like English language with the driest humoristic remarks you could possibly imagine. I personally do not find the need to raise questions about her age.  It’s an absolute lovely video, and that is the only thing that matters. Are you addicted?  

Inspiration via http://fashioncopious.typepad.com/