SS09: Dior Homme Men

SS08 was gaspingly difficult for many to absorb due to the very private showroom presentation and simplistic nature of the clothes. But eventually some people came around and accepted it as a directional collection of what the new DH is. Jumping into a time machine 6 months ahead the AW08 was a revolution of the “low diet” SS08 with even more exaggerated pleats and darker colours than Darth Vader’s mantle. The style and left people with a strange taste mouth like after having eaten the piece of skin of an avocado. Still, the design of collection was very French, avant-garde looking just right for a prestigious and elegant French brand like Dior falling in line with YSL. All in all, a merely acceptable collection with insufficient style to awe an audience hoping to be blown away.

On his third attempt Van Assche has sadly failed one again. The correlation between the SS09 and his previous shows is zero. Assche doesn’t know what direction he wants to steer the DH in, he’s lost and is in desperate need of a compass. Marking himself as the new alpha male in the fashion house by creating a collection so different from Hedi’s work it was pretty clear that we were entering a new era. But now Assche is walking backwards trying to reinvent the wheel by creating a neo-Hedi summer collection which embarrassingly falls completely flat. Many familiar signature design elements are there like skinny style of the trousers worn by the typical premature models hired by Hedi. Additionally we can see what looks like new versions of the D-point belt. In there is also a bunch of random garments like a white Spiderman shirt and a few pieces which presumably have been ripped one or two times by Wolverine.

It’s not that the collection is ugly because truth be told there are a nice percentage of wearable pieces in their. What’s heartbreaking is the identity crisis shining throughout the outfits. Is it Van Assche’s work or a poor rehash of past in an attempt by Van Assche to flirt with Hedi’s followers? Regardless, he’s done a very poor job on his third chance of rising as the most influential men’s designer on the planet. With time it has become clear that DH is too big for him to manage, especially when he’s already struggling to put his on label on the map. Although Assche can’t arguably be seen as a poor designer he’s just not the right man for the job. Filling the shoes of a martyr for a design is a tough task which very few can accomplish.

One great designer is Chris Bangle who took over as the chief designer for BMW in the beginning of the latest century and is responsible for all bimmers introduced from year 2002 and forward. Despite criticism received for irregularities and ugliness with early car models he eventually came around with some very striking car models revolutionizing the design of automobiles. Van Assche on the other hand is now on the his last life and must deliver in February next year or else I fear that he might be replaced due to the overwhelmingly poor criticism Dior Homme is taking because of him.

+Cool sunglasses which probably caught the attention of Kanye West who sat on front row at the show.

+Outdoor presentation? Lovely!

+The high tops used on gravel will probably end up on a sample sale somewhere in Paris.

-American Apparel just called and wants their nylon Taffeta jackets back.

-Shiny clothes in bright colours are so SS08.

Grade: 4.6/10 Despite a fair degree of wearablity DH SS09 is shameful and is of the nature we should never have to witness again. Very weak collection with nothing that we’ve seen before neither does it fall in line with Van Assche’s previous work making it more difficult to understand DH’s new brand identity. This is monkey business with zero originality or character.