Have you ever really stopped to think about the presentation of plants? Well, probably not, but not everyone thinks in the same fashion as the luxury designer of top design house Dior, Raf Simons. As Simons so shrewdly noted, there is a major difference between mere flora and manicured gardens. This distinction led the designer to allow artificial colors and nature-inspired shapes appear throughout the collection with a show premise that was said by Simons to be inspired by “the very idea of spring.”
In a mirrored tent decorated with lush and rolling hedges by Belgian landscape artist Martin Wirtz, the models floated down the runway like spring fairies, each donning the same pixie cut with bright, sparkling lips. A shoulder-bearing full bustier dress with a black bodice and blue flowing skirt opened the show, which certainly set the tone for what was to come. Bell-shaped skirts worked their way alongside structured tops while sleek and fitted pinch-waist tuxedos were worn over slim cigarette pants.
Asymmetric and intricate embroideries were applied to hourglass gowns that were worn over a wide array of colorful tights. Simons showcased a modern take on many traditional silhouettes through the use of his color pops. One particular knee-length gown had a delicate hint of neon yellow at the neckline, while another lace look was spruced up by tinting the edges of floral shapes in red.
On his decision to makeover Dior, Simons says that his plan is to take things slowly; therefore, when it came to his Haute Couture Spring 2013 collection, Simons explains, “I didn’t want to do a heavy concept, hence the idea of the garden, flowers, spring and the evolution of that.”