FASHION Magazine

Just three days after the Raf for Jil swap, Yves Saint Laurent has announced that creative director Stefano Pilati will leave the company’s helm following the collection’s Fall show later this week in Paris.

Pilati’s ride at YSL has been a bit of a bumpy one with critically inconsistent collections. But despite a lack of support from YSL heavyweights (Yves Saint-Laurent himself once told WWD, “Some of what he does is good. Some of it is not so good.”), Pilati has rocketed the house towards considerable commercial success (though not quite at Gucci-era Tom Ford levels) with his conception of hit accessories like the Muse bag and Tribute shoe. More than a feat in these financial times, right?

Day four in Milan was a flurry of shows and showroom visits (Bottega Veneta, Emporio Armani, Sportmax, Jil Sander, Giuseppe Zanotti, and more). After eight hours on the beat, dissecting trends and trying to dodge the post-show crush, I’ve compiled a set of fashion crib notes just for you.

Word: Nomophobia

Meaning: The fear of losing one’s mobile phone.

Usage: “If you know the panicked and disconnected feeling of leaving your mobile phone at home, you might be one of the many suffering from nomophobia.” — Mashable.com

It’s in-and-out at Jil Sander camp this week after the German fashion house announced this morning that Raf Simons will be presenting his last collection as creative director this Saturday. The announcement comes amid (double!) speculation that Simons and founder Jil Sander will be making big moves in the near future. Simons has long been […]

The post Raf Simons is out, while the real Jil might be back in at Jil Sander! What does this mean for Dior? And for our Sander addiction? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Prior to the recent reports that Jil Sander creative director Raf Simons is the latest frontrunner to replace John Galliano at Dior, it was almost certain that Marc Jacobs would be the designer to succeed Galliano. However, after reports that money issues brought talks to an end, those rumours bit the dust. Throughout this whole ordeal, Jacobs has been quiet, leaving us all wondering if there was ever any truth to these reports.

Which brings us to today: Jacobs is finally setting the record straight about whether or not he was as serious about moving to Dior as we were all led to believe. In an interview with Vogue, he says that while he did talk about Dior, he didn’t have serious intentions of moving to the iconic French house. But not because of money: he’s just not that into… couture? “The idea of couture doesn’t hold that thing for me. It’s archaic—in my opinion. I mean, I am really interested in the craftsmanship behind couture. But I can explore all that in ready-to-wear.”

While Jacobs’ statement about couture is debatable (with good reason) at least the Dior rumour can finally be put to rest and we can all move on.

The fashion community is starting to weigh in on the reports that Raf Simons will be Dior’s new creative director, and we’re not surprised to hear both positive and negative expectations. Dior is widely known for its decorative, romantic, and ladylike style, and Galliano’s over-the-top vision fit the brand perfectly. Simons is known for a much more minimalist style, but has been showing different sides of himself in the last few Jil Sander collections.

Is Dior eschewing ladylike in favour of bold restraint? After a virtual explosion of excited rumours on Twitter last night, WWD is now reporting that Jil Sander creative director Raf Simons is closing in on a deal to become John Galliano’s replacement at Dior. Known for his brightly hued and minimalist/maximalist designs, Simons might not be the first designer you’d associate with Dior’s aesthetic, but in his recent collections he’s shown an interest in couture techniques— he has even incorporated ball gowns and bridal looks, all of which have garnered rave reviews from critics.

Word: Floration

Usage: “[Kehinde Wiley‘s] models are photorealistic and the backgrounds are primarily images of what he calls “floration,” stylistic representations from designs that are Islamic, Baroque, and Rococo in origin.” — from the Columbus Museum of Art’s description of painter Wiley’s 2006 show

Meaning: See above. (Wiley made up the word himself.)

And the plot thickens. WWD is reporting a breakdown in the rumoured talks between Dior and Marc Jacobs. Quelle surprise! Well, not really, if you ask us. Since talks began in late August, there have been reports of exorbitant demands made by Jacobs as well as his business partner Robert Duffy, which lead us to believe that perhaps the designer never wanted to leave Louis Vuitton at all?

Meanwhile, with rumours of Dior approaching everyone under the sun to take the helm, from couture master Riccardo Tisci to street maven (and totally inappropriate for the role in our minds) Alexander Wang, it seems that the designer carousel won’t be stopping anytime soon.

So, what do you think? Who would you most like to see at the helm of the legendary brand?

Vote after the jump! »

After a few lackluster seasons and being reportedly difficult to work with, it’s been rumoured that Stefano Pilati will be out at Yves St Laurent once his contract is up in March 2012. The fashion world is dying to know who his replacement will be. According to the New York Times’ Suzy Menkes, who suggested the move in her review of Sander’s Spring 2012 collection, Raf Simons will be YSL’s new head designer.

Menkes’ comments on Simons replacing Pilati sent the blogosphere and Twitterverse into a frenzy with even her colleague Jessica Michault tweeting that Menkes broke the news. Both YSL and Jil Sander have denied rumours. YSL told WWD that “Stefano Pilati continues to dedicate his talent and energies to Yves Saint Laurent and the coming fashion show.”  On Sander’s end, it’s being reported that Simons has signed on to do four more seasons for the label.

While it doesn’t look like Pilanti is going anywhere in the next week or so, it isn’t confirmed that he’s renewed his contract with YSL. We’re hoping for some fresh blood at YSL sometime in the near future, even if it isn’t Simons, although we have our fingers crossed that it will be.

In a nod to longstanding couture tradition, both Jil Sander and Emilio Pucci sent out finale brides at their shows on Saturday—but that’s where the similarities ended.

Though temporarily overshadowed by Spring’s ode to the thrills and frills of the decadent ’70s, have no fear: Minimalism is still being championed by the likes of Phoebe Philo at Céline, Raf Simons at Jil Sander, as well as a number of young designers such as Central Saint Martins grad Tze Goh. Born in Singapore, he moved to New York to study at Parsons New School for Design and eventually relocated to London, where he is currently based.