Dior Homme S/S 2008

[seven.homme]

im pretty sure that the jacket is..

actually i did saw couple DH silver and gold high top at ebay...

but i dont thats DH as well...

[wildcat]

seriously disappointing.

[Servo2000]

...and so Dior Homme begins its slide into irrelevancy.

(although depending on how you look at it, this may merely be the "apex" of the slide that began several seasons ago, which is my view)

[poly800rock]

i think if anyone said they honestly liked it, they'd be stoned to death. so be it.

[Servo2000]

Well, personally I do like it. Some of the formalwear looks gorgeous, and the shirting looks very nice.

But is that all I should expect from KVA? Some nice formalwear? Because the casual wear is the exact same stuff they've been making for several seasons now (i.e. the slim-trench, the short-cut denim jacket, the every-season polo, etc...), and frankly what has always defined Dior Homme to me (in general) has been the work that tried to bridge the gap between casual-and-formal, "dressing up by dressing down," as it were.

Taking elements of formalwear and twisting it to be a little more youthful, a little edgier, sometimes a little higher quality.

I think I'm rambling and confused at this point. Somebody respond and let me re-collect my thoughts.

[Morningstar]

Well, I think that we have to remember this is a business. I'm sure there's a sku plan that gets followed by the Dior design team. A sku plan for those that don't know is a guide put together most likely by the sales team of the brand. It gives a run down of what should be produced based on past wholesale buys. Those things; safari jacket, trench, etc. will never not be offered in the showroom because they're obvious go to sales pieces for the brand regardless what's shown for the runway presentation. Also, they're part of the aesthetic/brand identity that has been established.

I'm starting to think that this may be the last time we see those things or see them as they are. There's the possibility that come next spring KVA will put out a collection with a full vision/full line (instead of one aspect like this season) that doesn't include those things. I guess only time will tell.

[Platypus]

A video of the collection (nothing really new since the the models just stand there), but there is a short speech by KVA.

LINK

[herpsky]

there's a whole bunch of new pics on www.diorhomme.com

the collection sucks

[Lucas0607]

It looks like thom brown slash Dries Van Noten Dunno I'm reminded of em.

Dior Homme has gone down.

[herpsky]

i thought that the collection was going to inherit hedi slimane's rock-ish / new-wave aesthetic but KVA totally butchered it.

his DH collection looks too similar to the american gigolo collection he's doing for his main line

me no likey

[seven.homme]

dior homme sales goin to hit rock bottom next season...

i think...

[onemancult]

I'm starting to think that this may be the last time we see those things or see them as they are. There's the possibility that come next spring KVA will put out a collection with a full vision/full line (instead of one aspect like this season) that doesn't include those things. I guess only time will tell.

there's a great article on KVA's take on DH in the sept. issue of New York magazine.

consider this collection a stopgap- he didnt have enough time to pull together a complete rehaul, nor should that have been the case.

DH was fucking tired for years. why is everyone so whiny about this?

i'm looking forward to what lies ahead, personally.

[wEstSidE]

who weres dior home anymore anyway? other than the jeans that is...

[Tiranis]

DH was fucking tired for years. why is everyone so whiny about this?

i'm looking forward to what lies ahead, personally.

I would agree, but FW07-08 is great... if you've actually seen in-store pieces and looked at construction/materials. The stuff is pretty amazing, apart from most of the footwear.

And even at his worst, Hedi was far more creative than KVA ever was. SS06 is better than anything KVA ever produced, and despite it being utterly unwearable for the most part, when I go back and look at it right now, I feel like it's actually a pretty good runway collection.

[onemancult]

my problem with DH and Hedi is that outside of materials and impeccable construction, he has been mining slight variations of the same exact style for far too long for me to consider him a creative genius. he chanced upon a particular slipstream of cultural fodder and fashioned it into something beautiful, something that resonated with so many people, and then proceeded to harp upon that same point over and over again.

at his best, Hedi is guilty of pandering, preaching to the choir. i don't think i can say the same about KVA, despite what anyone might have to say about his body of work. i'm at least going to give him a fair chance at voicing his vision through a solid, thought-out collection, rather than basing my opinion on an admittedly weak presentation meant to keep DH on-schedule.

[evisu 2000]

my problem with DH and Hedi is that outside of materials and impeccable construction, he has been mining slight variations of the same exact style for far too long for me to consider him a creative genius. he chanced upon a particular slipstream of cultural fodder and fashioned it into something beautiful, something that resonated with so many people, and then proceeded to harp upon that same point over and over again.

if hedi's body of work consisted of everything prior to votc would you consider him a creative genius?

[Tiranis]

my problem with DH and Hedi is that outside of materials and impeccable construction, he has been mining slight variations of the same exact style for far too long for me to consider him a creative genius. he chanced upon a particular slipstream of cultural fodder and fashioned it into something beautiful, something that resonated with so many people, and then proceeded to harp upon that same point over and over again.

at his best, Hedi is guilty of pandering, preaching to the choir. i don't think i can say the same about KVA, despite what anyone might have to say about his body of work. i'm at least going to give him a fair chance at voicing his vision through a solid, thought-out collection, rather than basing my opinion on an admittedly weak presentation meant to keep DH on-schedule.

I don't think we will ever see eye-to-eye on this subject, not that it's a bad thing. For one, Hedi has created several very different collections and apart from his trademark silhouette which he introduced, there's mostly very little in common between the collections. If I was to say that Hedi has been doing slight variations of the same style, then I would have to say that even Raf Simons and Jil Sanders (and many others) are/were doing the same thing for the most part.

Then there's also many renowned designers who have not ventured outside one look and just keep refining it every season, yet people consider them to be brilliant.

To me it seems like Hedi is being judged by a far more critical eye than any other designer out there.

As for KVA... he's created enough for his own label, to be objectively judged as someone with little creativity and skill. And please don't tell me that it's what his label is about... because even within the style he's aiming for with it, there's ways to be creative.

[beberthur]

I don't agree with the majority of the comments. Actually this collection is good (even though it's really hard to make a collection after a Slimane one), and the suits look great (except those horribly ugly parachute pants), with beutiful details and cuts.

I'd REALLY like to see those shiny/silver jeans in real....

[herpsky]

those jeans look like MOM jeans with silver coating. the cut is horrible...

is that pic from thee runway show?

[Tiranis]

This looks like Walmart, and I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

(bah, now the image disappeared...)

[goldengloves]

WOW, those jeans fit horribly and those square toed shoes are horrible as well...

[Kelvyno]

I think he's exchanged the clasp for a button too... hmmm

[Morningstar]

my problem with DH and Hedi is that outside of materials and impeccable construction, he has been mining slight variations of the same exact style for far too long for me to consider him a creative genius. he chanced upon a particular slipstream of cultural fodder and fashioned it into something beautiful, something that resonated with so many people, and then proceeded to harp upon that same point over and over again.

at his best, Hedi is guilty of pandering, preaching to the choir. i don't think i can say the same about KVA, despite what anyone might have to say about his body of work. i'm at least going to give him a fair chance at voicing his vision through a solid, thought-out collection, rather than basing my opinion on an admittedly weak presentation meant to keep DH on-schedule.

Totally agree. At this point the formula is dated. Why do people persist to hold on to what in my opinion are some of the least "Dior" moments for Dior Homme? What is luxurious about overpriced sneakers, hoodies, graphic tees and a dozen variety of denim washes? A brand like Dior should be producing things that are luxurious. Right now if you wanted to you could walk right into H&M or Zara and create a Hedi look on a budget.

Don't get me wrong I am a fan of the brand and Hedi, but at this point what he had done seemed stagnant and stale. I though FW '06 was breathe of fresh air and seemed to me as a signal that Hedi would be returning to form (pre VoTC Dior), but the next seasons was a major let down comparatively speaking for me. I understand the reason this look is so ubiquitous is like OMC said, what he did resonated with so many. However, he kept mining the same source and if you keep looking to the same place you're going to get the same thing.

[evisu 2000]

you can see the buttons underneath the fly?????? o:

[Tiranis]

What is luxurious about overpriced sneakers, hoodies, graphic tees and a dozen variety of denim washes?

And here we are again... you sound like someone who has never seen Dior stuff in store and anything they produce for that matter. There's a ton of luxurious tops, sweaters, cardigans, jackets, coats, suits, pants, etc. The amount of clothes produced each season is huge.

The sweathshirts, tees, and stuff like that is selling well, thus it carries over from season to season. It's not because Hedi wants to release the stuff, it's because he has to... the brand is big, the company wants to cash in.

Business 101.

[goldengloves]

And here we are again... you sound like someone who has never seen Dior stuff in store and anything they produce for that matter. There's a ton of luxurious tops, sweaters, cardigans, jackets, coats, suits, pants, etc. The amount of clothes produced each season is huge.

The sweathshirts, tees, and stuff like that is selling well, thus it carries over from season to season. It's not because Hedi wants to release the stuff, it's because he has to... the brand is big, the company wants to cash in.

Business 101.

Ha, I was just going to post the same thing.

[onemancult]

all true, Tiranis, but in my opinion, if Hedi was truly possessed of a visionary spirit, he would find a way to make the signature items in the collection stand out above and beyond the money-making items.

i think that, especially towards the end, the only pull anyone really had towards DH was for the same old, let's break even, sneakers and denim, and there was nothing in the heart of collection to inspire consumers to look beyond the basics.

[Tiranis]

Well, I'll repepat what I said at the start... I encourage everyone to see the new collection in store. The outerwear is amazing, the accessories are very beatiful, and the tops are very nice too.

Yes, it follows the usual Hedi formula, but it has a nice twist and detailing on everything is superb.

As for making basics stand out, I'm not sure. Look at Raf, now that his brand is big and he has all these money-making items to take care of (all the stuff with R monogram, RAF line, etc.), the overall quality of the line has been suffering, especially since he also takes care of Jil Sander now. I think the same goes for Hedi in a way, I think the amount of stuff he's supposed to release made it impossible to pay as much attention to every item, especially the ones that are there just to make money.

[onemancult]

new question: since the consensus seems to be that DH will fail under KVA's hand, what do you foresee happening to the label? turned over to someone else after KVA is booted out? fading into disrepair, churning out silver mom jeans for a few years before being shut down completely?

there is a lot more at stake here than just Hedi's name or Dior's bottom line- any predictions?

[Tiranis]

new question: since the consensus seems to be that DH will fail under KVA's hand, what do you foresee happening to the label? turned over to someone else after KVA is booted out? fading into disrepair, churning out silver mom jeans for a few years before being shut down completely?

there is a lot more at stake here than just Hedi's name or Dior's bottom line- any predictions?

In my opinion, KVA doesn't have enough to hold off the influence of directors, investors, and the management of company. The brand will become a cash-cow devoid of any real sense of style or anything, instead becoming something like Hugo Boss...

They'll be releasing a lot of staples, like jeans, sneakers, etc. with little to no innovation in terms of runway.

Until one day they'll be forced to find someone else again. I doubt it will ever completely crash and burn, it's become much too big for that.

---

To the previous topic: please don't misunderstand me. I was one of the biggest critics of post-votc (or strip) Dior, but looking back it's not all that bad, especially compared with all the other labels. The expectations were simply too high, now that I think about it more and more.