Creative Price Tag : LVMH Buys Stake at Maxime Simoens

The future is looking bright for the design wunderkind Maxime Simoens, he might not have gotten the top job at Dior, but a recent cash infusion from Dior and LVMH owner Bernard Arnault should be a comforting consolation prize.

Arnault is reported to have purchased a stake in Simoens's eponymous two-year-old fashion label. The size of Arnault's stake in the business is unknown, but his investment indicates that he wants to keep tabs on Simoens. At 27, Simeons is so well-regarded in the French design world that he was widely rumored to be in the running to replace John Galliano at Dior. Until recently, Simoens was also the creative director of French label Leonard, but he left that post earlier this month — which made many believe that he would in fact take over for Galliano. It was announced shortly afterward that the job went to Raf Simons.

But just because Simoens isn't at Dior now doesn't mean he won't be in the future. A source suggested to WWD that LVMH may be interested in parlaying Simeons's talent into a future role at one of its bigger fashion houses, which include Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi, among others.

RIP Keith Varty: World Say Goodbye to Byblos Designer

Keith Varty is known for helming Eighties label Byblos, succeeding the legendary Gianni Versace - who preceeded him as the brand's artistic director. The designer died of cancer, aged 60.

"Keith Varty was the first of the first that set a standard, he was a young innovative British designer," said Varty's long-time friend Burstein. "Keith worked for Dorothee Bis in Paris before being wowed over to Italy by Gianni Versace, who then worked at Byblos. After two successful years, Keith Varty and Alan Cleaver took over. The collections could have been as modern today as it was then. He bought an infusion of talent from Britain into the Italian market."

Varty and his long-time partner Alan Cleaver were scouted fresh from the Royal College of Art in 1980 to work on Byblos - launched in 1972 by brothers Sergio and Arnold Girombelli - which was known for its huge impact on Eighties fashion, with its playful, colourful aesthetic. Sergio Girombelli lauded Varty for his "enthusiasm and talent" and described how he interpreted fashion in a "young and colourful way". Varty left Byblos in 1993 and went on to launch an interiors label - named Elericò e K&A Designs.

Raf Simons Replaces John Galliano at Christian Dior

Christian Dior on Monday named Raf Simons its next couturier, and said he would unveil his first collection for the house during Paris Couture Week in July. His official title is artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessory collections.

The appointment marks the end of a long search process that has captivated the industry, and it confirms a report in WWD on Dec. 13 that the fabled French house was closing in on Simons as the successor to John Galliano, who was ousted in March 2011 following racist and anti-Semitic outbursts at a Paris café.

Simons becomes Dior’s sixth couturier. Successors to the founder — who ignited postwar Paris with his extravagant, full-skirted New Look, and whose brief career ended with his death in 1957 — also included Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan and Gianfranco Ferré.

Dries Van Noten: Titan of Prints

Antwerp's fashion icon Dries Van Noten is the king of prints. He is known for his romance with fine and exotic fabrics. His collection often features hot ethnic clashes of eclectic prints and historical influences.


Dries Van Noten prints are notoriously polarizing, his patterns cerebral and dreamy. They often look like optical illusions or vintage eye candy unraveled from some lost archives of a historical institute.

Today, Dries Van Noten is now a big global player in the fashion scene. He is now a far cry from being part of the original Antwerp 6, a group of avant-garde Belgian fashion designers in the 80s. As much he is a game changer, Dries Van Noten surprisingly veers away from haute couture. His runway collections are accessible. He keeps a steady eye on retail and the ready-to-wear market.

Recently, Dries Van Noten was at the French Institute Alliance Française’s Fashion Talks event and has this much to say about his almost 30 year-old brand:

 “It’s not my intention to do something different from other people. It just happens.”

 Dries Van Noten Fall 2012 comes off as commanding and imperial with its bold prints