Book Dior By Raf Simons

Dior by Raf Simons is the sixth in a series of books by Assouline dedicated to cover the short-lived residence of Raf Simons.

Book Dior By Raf Simons
Model Nicole Pollard wearing Look 32, haute couture Autumn-Winter 2012, Dior magazine, Fall 2012.
© Willy Vanderperre/Art + Commerce

The House announces the spring 2023 release of the Dior by Raf Simons book, published by Assouline. This new opus – the sixth in a series of books dedicated to each of the Maison’s Artistic Directors – reveals the creative vision of the Belgian couturier through “portraits of dresses” taken by photographer Laziz Hamani and texts signed by fashion journalist Tim Blanks.

I’m not romantic about the past, I’m romantic about the future”. Thus Raf Simons – Artistic Director of Dior’s women’s lines from 2012 to 2015 – evokes his conception of fashion and couture. A reflection embodied by the wardrobe he dreamed up, fusing heritage and reinvention, the essence of Dior and an infinitely contemporary sense of purity. Through each of his collections, the models implicitly tell the story of his fascination for Christian Dior, with whom he discovered precious affinities.

Book Dior By Raf Simons
Models Antonina Vasylchenko, Daria Strokous, Kinga Rajzak, Alexandra Martynova, Zuzanna Bijoch, Nastya Kusakina, Esther Heesch and Jac Jagaciak wearing Look 46, Look 54, Look 49, Look 45, Look 16, Look 44, Look 47 and Look 48, haute couture Autumn-Winter 2012, Vanity Fair US, September 2012. © Paolo Roversi/Art + Commerce

In his first haute couture show, for autumn-winter 2012-2013, he chose to reinterpret the iconic New Look silhouette, transformed into a sculptural pants suit. An architectural manifesto, resonating as a tribute to Christian Dior’s original vocation. Every season, Raf Simons multiplied the references to the passions he shared with the founding-couturier – including those for nature and gardens, design and art – infusing his creations with many different inspirations.

Book Dior By Raf Simons
Model Élise Crombez wearing Look 33, couture Autumn-Winter 2013, Dior magazine, Winter 2013.
© Willy Vanderperre/Art + Commerce

With Monsieur Dior, he also cultivated a taste for modernity and the desire to celebrate legacy through the prism of a constantly forwardlooking perspective. “We must not forget the past, we must go beyond it,” declared Raf Simons. His Dior years thus foreshadowed a form of renewal for the House, marked by a poetic avant-gardist spirit. An exceptional book exploring the many facets of Raf Simons’ style during his Dior years.

Text by Tim Blanks @timblanks
Photography by Laziz Hamani @lazizhamani

Credits: © Courtesy of Christian Dior Couture