Since Kriss Van Assche took over Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme two seasons ago, the fashion world was waiting for the successor of Hedi’s heroin-chic, slim-silhouette pieces that rocked the world upside down. While everyone might agree that Kriss has a really big shoes to fill, the newest S/S 2009 proves that he might never reach that stage of development.
The moment Kriss Van Asshe stepped into Dior Homme’s creative directior, he was stuck in a dilemma: either to follow Hedi’s direction and become his shadow but maintain the house’s impressive income or to start everything from scratch and faces the fear of being replaced. Dior Homme S/S 2009, however, demonstrates that Kriss chose neither but a mix of these two visions. While this decision might be safe from Kriss’ own perspective, it shows that Dior Homme no longer stands for what it was known for during Hedi’s time: being an exclusive trend setter. For example, while the skinny jeans and trousers have been long made famous during Hedi’s reign, puffy jackets are what Raf Simons is known for. Even the most simple piece, the white dress shirt, is a toned down version of Dolce&Gabbana’s signature creation.
While Kriss still has sometimes to redeem himself, those who fired Hedi might soon regret their decisions . The fashionistas who come for Dior Homme crave for slim, almost couture-like pieces of art and those, sadly, are nowhere to be found in Kriss’s designs.
