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[@riss]

i completely agree with your point about movement and don't quite see how its in opposition to what i was saying. i need to find a more precise quote (which i have in my head, but can't find online) about how he's not interested in precious fabrics, not solely for reasons of movement, but simply because he's not interested in opulent materials. his whole style is based on minimalism, in his furniture designs, in his photography books, have you seen the new watch he just designed?

i like a good deal of costume national's stuff. for instance, at the shop in soho there was a scarf very similar to one i was interested in at dior and for about half the price. however, i would probably be interested in wearing 70-80% of what i see in dior or helmut lang. over 50% of what i see from costume national i wouldn't rock.

 

[@riss]

balenciaga is super skinny to the point where i had trouble squeezing into some trousers i tried on a couple of months back. its not really my style so much anyway, though. i don't really think i'm super skinny--6" about 155lbs. anyway, i i went to school with a kid who did some modelling for dior and prada and he was a little thicker than i am, so i can't see how dior doesn't fit people who aren't waif-like. also, i believe brad pitt got married in dior and he's certainly not "anorexic".

 

[@riss]

i respect what you're saying and i agree that the style is informed by 60's skinny suits and plenty of minimalism, which in large part does indeed derive from bauhaus ideals. but i don't think that much of slimane's clientele would be ignorant of this. i think the kids rocking dior in colette are definitely reading books on bauhaus furniture/ architecture and plenty of them are listening to the stones. i also think that there is hardly anything that's extremely original out there. i just happen to like slimane's overall aesthetic. the d-homme high tops resemble nike dunks, but i just happen to think dunks are cool too. for all the talk about originality, it surprises me that nobody has mention kawakubo at comme des garcons on the forum...

 

[T4phage]

Originally posted by LA Guy:

...The quote is correct, but I disagree with your interpretation, based on other interviews I've read. What Hedi Slimane is interested in is designing clothes that make the wearer conform to a certain bearing (military) and way of moving (sort of powerful and fluid);

Very interesting LA Guy. But I for one cannot see this in his runway shows/ads. One cannot describe his models/image as being/moving "powerully and fluid", more like "clueless" in my opinion. As for the "military bearing", if I squint hard enough I can see some stylistic cues.... but still....

I personally don't like Slimane's offerings.

 

[Nick M]

I'm in agreement with CTGuy - there's an element of hype and name recognition which adds to the price of any label, whether it be Armani or Kiton: And for me, the Dior Homme hype far outweighs the quality of the garments. If I'm going to shell out designer money for clothing, I'd like for it to be something I couldn't possibly get anywhere else, either in terms of design or in quality of fabrics, and Dior Homme doesn't deliver. To use the example of the skinny ties in the Dior Homme collection - one could make an argument that for Slimane, they represent an homage to 50s/60s aesthetics, or a rebellion against wage-slave conformity, or whatever, but I -perhaps overly cynically - see it as the fact that wide ties were recently fashionable, thus everyone has a few, and so by making skinny ties hip again, people are going to have to buy more product. If I want to buy a skinny black tie, I'll get one at Tie Rack - after all, Slimane isn't interested in opulent materials, so it'll be pretty much the same, right? Again, though, if D-Homme is a good fit, and the styling is flattering on you, then you should go for that - but my money goes to color and pattern, generally. Â

 

[Brian SD]

On sizing: I could definitely wear 36R in Dior Homme, but I'm just saying, to get the desired affect - the real Hedi Slimane look - you'd have to get ultra tight, which I am surprised that I cannot get, even with the 36R. That is why I think Dior Homme was designed with more athletic / average builds in mind, but creating ultra slim clothes for the models. Like I said, other 36Rs fit me fine, but I think Labelking was exactly right, that Dior Home has a really weird 36R.

I am actually a fan of Hedi Slimane YSL era, more than I am a fan of the Dior era. It has the same sharp, architectural lines, but doesn't look so Hot Topic-esque as Dior Homme.

 

[color_reporter]

I do not agree Dior Homme and Hedi Slimane built themselves by hype and a gimmicky marketing strategy of high price and exclusiveness. Maybe it's overhyped NOW but I remember seeing his first collection for Dior and being completely blown away. I had never heard of the name Hedi Slimane. I didn't even care to learn his name and only remembered Dior Homme. But after seeing subsequent collections, i.e. Red and Reflection, that's when I became a fan of Hedi Slimane.

 

[@riss]

To use the example of the skinny ties in the Dior Homme collection - one could make an argument that for Slimane, they represent an homage to 50s/60s aesthetics, or a rebellion against wage-slave conformity, or whatever, but I -perhaps overly cynically - see it as the fact that wide ties were recently fashionable, thus everyone has a few, and so by making skinny ties hip again, people are going to have to buy more product.

labels like helmut lang, jil sander, miu-miu, dior, even agnes b all make/have been making skinny ties. they've been fashionable again for years. the skinny tie is a staple particularly for lang and dior, but i don't see that slimane was just flipping the wider-tie model on its head. the skinny tie is in every single helmut lang collection i've ever seen and some of his are even skinnier than those at dior. the dior is way pricier than the others, but his whole collection is ridiculously priced. name has alot to do with this, absolutely. people will shell out extra cash for the fly, or whatever it is, that's stitched on the dior version. but what designer doesn't live off of name? why does a gucci t-shirt cost $250? i agree that you could have a slimane look on your own if you scoured thrift shops and customized your clothes. he even says that the kids who catch his eye in berlin are not wearing designer gear.

 

[@riss]

furthermore, this is all contextual. i have an hermes tie that is gorgeous and of luxurious material and pattern. this does not negate the fact that my simple cotton helmut lang skinny tie is cool as well.

 

[imageWIS]

I just mention it in passing, but T&A has been making relatively skinny ties for well over 40 years now...granted they might not be "hot ****" but are quite well made and the name recognition is certainly there. Might be worth a stroll to their store on 57th in Manhattan to check them out, no?

Jon.

 

[@riss]

the point was less about where to purchase a skinny tie than it was a refutation that dior is just making money revamping an old style and "creating" a trend against the "recently fashionable" wider tie.

 

[Mike C.]

Every label carries a premium for something. With Dior it's styling, Oxxford for construction (rather than styling), Armani for materials (certainly not construction). I guess Prada for marketing...lol.

But for real, Dior is very highly stylized pieces; to say that it's not worth it because the materials aren't top notch is ridiculos; I couldn't even think of what a Dior suit would look like in cashmere or Super 150's.

To say it's a rehash of 60's styling is fine. Name me one designer who has done something completly new. Fashions don't spawn from nothing, they evolve.

Slimane's stuff is outstanding, by comparing it to T&A or any other venerable clothing institution is just not possible. If you're even thinking of it like this, you're way off the mark.

 

[@riss]

Thank you, Mike C..

 

[Mike C.]

Might be worth a stroll to their store on 57th in Manhattan to check them out, no?  

After that you could check out the Dior Homme store, which is only a few doors down.

Oh, and then visit me at work around the block.

 

[@riss]

exactly, it wouldn't be my priority on 57th...