Picture: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty
When Raf Simons arrived at Dior his first task was to produce a haute couture collection. One that would silence the critics who doubted that a "minimalist" renowned for his menswear was capable of continuing one of French fashion's greatest traditions and the legacy of Christian Dior.
Most seasoned couturiers take six months to finish their collections. Simons had just eight weeks. How did he achieve such a feat?
We need scratch our heads no longer. A documentary charting that very moment hits cinemas next week.
Written, directed and produced by French-born film-maker Frédéric Tcheng - a key player in the current trend for fashion documentaries - Dior and I offers a glimpse inside the house and the vision of its new artistic director.
But in this historical fashion mash-up - archived soundbites from Christian Dior are juxtaposed with footage of Simons creating each stage of his collection - the real stars are the cogs in Simons's new Dior machine. Along with Pieter Mulier - his charismatic right-hand man - it is the atelier which has served Dior for decades that allows this film to suggest that high fashion hinges on much more than the genius of one man.
Cameo appearances from esteemed fashion critic Cathy Horyn, American Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Dior ambassador Jennifer Lawrence also help up the star quota. It is the perfect marriage of the past, present and future, in which the memory of Dior is honoured throughout.
In cinemas from Friday March 27. (diormovie.com)
