Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[Faust]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[quote user="justine"][quote user="Faust"]

Johnny, do you mean rubbisher in terms of design or sales? If Gucci/Tom Ford think is any indication, the sales will be just fine.

Hedi should be successful on his own, provided he actually concentrates on design (that in itself provided he actually designed early DH for the most part, which probably was the case judging by his work at YSL).

[/quote]



I second that YSL comment, his collections there are amongst some of my absolute favorite, just so beautiful and elegant. I'm actually excited to hear this news. Hedi's worth more than the last years at DH.[/quote]

Very much so - his work there was no worse than pre-Luster DH... as a matter of fact it was the same thing with a different label slapped on :-). It was incredibly tiny though, I really don't understand who'd fit in it. No wonder they had to close the SoHo YSL Rive Gauche store.

[rach2jlc]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH



[quote user="Faust"][ It was incredibly tiny though, I really don't understand who'd fit in it..[/quote]

Yes, it was and I don't know either!I was so excited to find a pair of the most gorgeous black silk pants on ebay in about 2002 or so from his last YSL collection. They looked like something a 24th century villain would wear; I loved them immediately (haha).

Anyway, I received them andthough technically they were in my size,there was no way save chopping off a large portion of my hip bone that I could get the zipper up, much less button them. So, back onto ebay they went and sold, I'm assuming,to one ofthefive or six people who also could fit into early Balenciaga seasons. Whoever they are, they certainly must have a beautiful wardrobe...

I just hope that his eponymous collection would have that sort of edgy, strange,yet gorgeous styling with quality to match. I'm not sure exactly what it needs to look like to carry it, though, because it can't just be a repeat of the Dior seasons or his YSL work. In 1998 or 1999, it was amazing and new, but it's now a fairly saturated style. I only hope he can find that sort of vision again and get away from the "indie glam rock" angle that seems to have sidetracked him after Luster and Strip.

[Faust]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

If Mr. Slimane decides to grow up, I think he could be a very nice fill for the void that the departure of Helmut Lang left. That's a big if though - look at Lagerfeld, he still hasn't grown up.

[nairb49]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH



That would be a very interesting transition over to HL. I'm not sure how I feel about that, yet...

Posted on his website:

CLOSE TO A YEAR AGO, MORE PRECISELY LAST JULY, AT THE END OF MY CONTRACT, I FELT IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MAKE A MAJOR CHANGE, AND LEAVE THE COMPANY. I
HAD ALREADY SET UP THE PRINCIPLES THAT COULD CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR
DIOR HOMME. AS FOR MY OWN STYLE AND AESTHETIC, I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO
SEPARATE THE 2.

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT A PROPOSAL CAME TO ME TO START A NEW HOUSE UNDER MY NAME IF I STAYED WITH DIOR HOMME.

I
TRIED TO MAKE THINGS WORK FOR ABOUT A YEAR. HOWEVER, I HAD THE FEELING
IT WAS NOT THE RIGHT PROJECT FOR ME. THERE ARE AREAS I WILL NOT
COMPROMISE WITH AT ALL WHEN IT COMES TO MY WORK, AND SETTING UP A LABEL
UNDER MY OWN NAME. I ALWAYS KEPT IN MIND THE PRECEDENCE OF SOME
DESIGNERS I ADMIRE WHO WERE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, AND CHOSE THE OTHER
PATH. PERHAPS IN ANOTHER TIME IN MY LIFE, UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, MY
NAME, AND THE MANAGEMENT OF A COMPANY UNDER MY OWN LABEL WOULD BE
CONSIDERED DIFFERENTLY. RIGHT NOW I FEEL IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO STAY
TRUE TO MY PRINCIPLES, AND THE IDEA I HAVE OF FASHION.

I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE THAN TO REFUSE THE KIND PROPOSITION THAT WAS MADE AND TO DECLINE A NEW DIOR HOMME CONTRACT. I MADE THIS CLEAR JUST AFTER MY LAST SHOW, THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY, AND LEFT FOR LOS ANGELES. I DECIDED TO WALK AWAY FROM DIOR, AND MOVE ENTIRELY FORWARD.

[rach2jlc]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH



^ Interesting; at least it appears he isn't selling out. How many times have we seen the opposite type statement..."And so, in an effort to continue my work, I have also signed an agreement with Ittierre SpA to produce the 'Hedi by Hedi Slimane' diffusion label, intended for the bridge market." ;)

Nevertheless, the cynic in me wonders if maybe he's just taken his aesthetic about as far as it could go. As I said above, in 1998-99 it was amazing and we had nothing like it. For example, I was cleaning out my closet the other day and found some GQ magazines from early 1997; looking through the advertisements and fashion pages really shows how far we've come in terms of aesthetic (the "coolest" thing in them was Tom Ford's tone-on-tone ties and shirts). Nevertheless, Hedi is simply going to have either to adapt his ideas or find a new direction for them. NOT jumping right into an eponymous label just might allow him to do that, giving him time and freedom to explore around.

So, it really appears that the fashion dynamic (at least in menswear) is in a great period of flux and could go either way; Jil and Helmut are gone, Tom Ford is back, and now Hedi is out, too.. all I can say is thank God we still have Giorgio Armani (NOT!)

[Faust]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[quote user="nairb49"]

That would be a very interesting transition over to HL. I'm not sure how I feel about that, yet...

[/quote]

Not sure I expressed myself correctly. I did not mean to say that Theory should hire him to do HL. I meant to say that Hedi, as a designer, has the potential to be the next HL, with his own label.

Thanks for posting the blurb from his website, sounds genuine enough - who knows what he's really thinking. I hope he ends up doing his own label. I don't want him to get the Plokhov type job. Fashion evolves, and it's completely fine to start your own label, make it new - who gives a crap if Versace (for example) has "heritage." Everyone had to start somewhere.

[nairb49]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[quote user="Faust"][quote user="nairb49"]

That would be a very interesting transition over to HL. I'm not sure how I feel about that, yet...

[/quote]

Not sure I expressed myself correctly. I did not mean to say that Theory should hire him to do HL. I meant to say that Hedi, as a designer, has the potential to be the next HL, with his own label.

Thanks for posting the blurb from his website, sounds genuine enough - who knows what he's really thinking. I hope he ends up doing his own label. I don't want him to get the Plokhov type job. Fashion evolves, and it's completely fine to start your own label, make it new - who gives a crap if Versace (for example) has "heritage." Everyone had to start somewhere.

[/quote]

Ah, I read it over quickly, misinterpreted what you meant to say ;)

That I agree with, if he branches off on a solo career. Though he won't really be "starting" as in the likes of say, a Robert Geller, who has connections etc etc but no real name. He's already a full out celebrity in his own right....

[mutterlein]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[quote user="Faust"]If Mr. Slimane decides to grow up...[/quote]

bingo. I'm holding my breath for the answer to that.

There was an interesting detail I noticed, Kris Van Asche had been with Hedi since the very beginning, his current work looks awfully similiar to those early years as welll. Sometimes it's hard to see where Hedi ends and his assistants begin. Nichlolas Andreas Taralis, Martin Ball, Lucas Ossendrijver, hmmmmm.....

Personally I think the reason the last few Dior Homme shows have been greeted with such little enthusiasm, that the indie schtick had become so numbingly obnoxious, was that they were really Hedi's ambitions for women peeking through. SS06-F/W 07-08, not the best series of collections for men but on women they are sublime.

[Faust]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH



/\ Who were his assistants at YSL? I would like to know, because I don't see much difference between his work at YSL and pre-Luster DH. I think to chalk the DH success to his assistants may be incorrect.

As far as his clothes on women, I have no idea - I have yet to see a woman wear DH. I personally don't see it. To me the failure of those collections lies in Hedi's lazyness - he spread himself way too thin. I am sorry, but it's hard to cultivate your talent when you want to be a fashion designer, a furniture designer, an interior decorator, a photographer, a groupie, and a jet-setter.

[mutterlein]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

Kris Van Assche was there at the beginning of the YSL days.

[casem]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

It's official, KVA is the new designer. From an e-mail I just recieved from Dior Las Vegas (anyone else on their mailing list? I love getting the pics of everything).

"Also for those of you who have not heard F/W 07 will be Hedi Slimane's last collection with Dior Homme. Kris Van Assche will be taking over at Dior Homme. Kris had worked for Hedi for many years at YSL and Dior and is very familiar with his technique. We here at Dior are very much looking forward to the new collections. So for all of you Hedi fans I do suggest looking into the remaining pieces for S/S 07 and whats to come for F/W 08 for they are and will go faster than usual. !!!!!!"

I know they're trying to hype the last collection, but I hope it doesn't go too fast, I like it a lot but don't want to have to fight over it.

[mass]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

[quote user="Faust"]

As far as his clothes on women, I have no idea - I have yet to see a woman wear DH.

[/quote]

here's a woman in dior homme. from thesartorialist. i think she looks great. and cute. i love her hair.

[Faust]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH



/\ thanks a lot for posting!. post if you come across more.

it's ok - nothing special. i'd take a nice YSL or Rochas pant suit over this any day.

[Servo2000]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

There was a thread with some women wearing Dior Homme on Superfuture, I'll see if I can find it.

Feel free to beat me to it.

[PrinceOfCats]

Re: Hedi Slimane to leave Dior Homme, Kris Van Assche to design for LVMH

Can Hedi make it solo? Ford was as much of a star designer with a cult of junkies and look how he crashed and burned...