At first, no one was certain that the Raf Simons head designer takeover at Christian Dior would actually work. When John Galliano left due to scandal, an important role needed to be filled and after months of rumors and false names, Simons was asked to take the spot. He was a popular designer at Jil Sander, known for high fashion minimalism and great technique, but could he take on the heritage of ladylike Christian Dior? Turns out he could – as celebs have clearly noticed, wearing the Christian Dior label to big events since Simons showcased his first collection for the label back in July 2012 for the Fall 2012 couture season.
Just recently, at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, Christian Dior was worn by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, and Ziyi Zhang, with Kidman’s dress from Spring 2013 being the hit of the Opening Ceremony. Prior to that, celebs like Chloe Moretz, Emmy Rossum, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Emilia Clarke have chosen Dior for their look at some of the biggest red carpet events.
There’s something about the way Raf Simons has taken the ladylike elements of Dior and fused it with its heritage “New Look,” yet made it ultra modern that has celebs wearing it with a vengeance. Here are four celebs that get the new Dior just right.
Jennifer Lawrence
Well, it’s no surprise that Jennifer Lawrence has been wearing Dior – she is one of the new faces of the label. Yet, she wasn’t one of my obvious choices to represent the brand. While beautiful, she has a very realist element to the way she speaks and holds herself up – meaning that Dior often takes on an ultra-luxe, ladylike, and sometimes even pretentious element, or it has in the past. But maybe Raf Simons and the people behind the brand are smarter than we think. By focusing on Jennifer Lawrence as a face, perhaps they’re saying – anyone can put on Dior and turn into a real-life princess. Lawrence’s ad campaigns for the brand have said to be more minimalist – focusing on the beautiful clothes and again, portraying Jennifer Lawrence as the “real-life” goddess she is.
Julianne Moore
I always thought Julianne Moore was a Lanvin, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent kind of girl. So lately, seeing the gorgeous redhead in some ultra-luxe Christian Dior has been quite a treat. Besides wearing a black strapless top and ball gown to the premiere of The Great Gatsby at the Cannes Film Festival, Moore also wore an ultra-bright canary yellow Christian Dior gown with long sleeves to the 2012 Emmy Awards. The outfit is actually a knit cashmere top with full silk skirt that fit Moore and was the look everyone was talking about after the event – mostly for its standout color. The thing about Julianne Moore is that she likes to experiment with fashion – mostly with color and shape – but also keeps it ultra-ladylike. Christian Dior seems to be a good fit for her because it has both elements.
Natalia Vodianova
Model turned entrepreneur Natalia Vodianova has always been a fan of the Christian Dior label and she followed Raf Simons, when he came on board to head the brand. While she may not wear Dior as much as some of her celebrity counterparts, she does use for a proper occasion – donning a ball gown and cashmere top for the Bal de la Rose du Rocher and other low-key dresses for event appearances.
Marion Cotillard
Actress Marion Cotillard has been the face of the French fashion house for a few years now. She seems to be the perfect embodiment of Lady Dior, smoldering in many of Dior’s ad campaigns and almost always choosing the perfect Dior for all her red carpet occasions. Ironically, I’m not sure I’m liking the gowns she chooses for Dior since Raf Simons has been instated as head designer for the brand. Many of the gowns and dresses look underwhelming and too experimental for an actress who favors what looks over the fashion risk. For example, her look for the 2013 Met Gala was quite below par and other gowns, like the black and white striped one above – while fitting her perfectly, don’t look like they go with her fashion character. It’s a shame, really, because she used to wear Dior so well.
What do you think?
– Simona Kogan
UPDATE: Turns out celebs really DO love Christian Dior. Princess Charlene of Monaco, Jessica Biel, Marion Cotillard, Ruth Wilson, and Zhang Ziyi were seen in the front row at the label’s Cruise 2014 collection presentation showcased in Monaco presented on May 18, 2013.
Photos: Jennifer Lawrence, Natalia Vodianova and Marion Cotillard: Zimbio.com; Julianne Moore: Popsugar.com
Image Layout: Ronshulay Pennington
