After a year of rumour and speculation, Dior has finally confirmed that Raf Simons, the fashion darling recently canonised after his abrupt firing as creative director of Jil Sander, has been handed the keys to the house as artistic director of women’s wear and accessories – just over a year after former Dior creative director John Galliano was handed his walking papers after an alleged anti-Semitic incident.
The appointment will put an end not just to the constant gossip about who might be getting the job, but to suggestions that perhaps the whole concept of a creative director is outmoded. By choosing a high-profile professional, if a quiet personality, Dior, and its chairman, Bernard Arnault, have signaled their belief in having a strong singular point of view at a global brand.







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Vanessa has been the FT’s fashion editor since 2003, and is based in New York, though she lived in London for 12 years.