Dior Couture Fall 2013 Collection

The Dior fall 2013 couture collection was a complex and surprising one. Creative director Raf Simons took inspiration from four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and America) and tried to bring options for each one. In light of this info, it becomes a lot easier to understand why the new line is so complex and comprehensive. Redefining couture, or at least bringing a more practical version of it was one of the designer's biggest desires for the new line.

“The basic idea for me is that I like the idea of freeing up couture. It annoys me that couture is thought of as the circus clown of fashion. I think that psychologically, emotionally, it can be approached the same way as ready-to-wear: out there for women to enjoy and to wear.…It’s a psychology of how clothes can look in relation to a modern woman and the way she is living her life and experiencing the culture,” he stated. He did deliver on the promise, bringing many options that could be worn on more than a handful of occasions and who reflected some of the cultural influences he used as inspiration without relying on obvious sartorial cliches.

To further add a sense of originality to the new Dior haute couture fall 2013 collection, the designer enlisted the help of photographers Patrick Demarchelier, Willy Vanderperre, Paolo Roversi and Terry Richardson, who created projections that were perfectly timed with each exit on the runway. How did the designer honor each culture he drew inspiration from? For his European clientele, he brought Parisian style influences like gray tweed tailoring and classy structured coats.

American style preferences were honored with sporty vibes. The Asian culture was associated with high tech fabrics and architectural vibes, while the African continent was mostly reflected through Masai influences in the new Dior fall 2013 couture collection. The multitude of ideas comprised in the new Dior couture collection might have made it difficult to follow but the always unexpected set of offerings definitely made the designer's third couture show presented at the Hôtel des Invalides, Paris an undeniably interesting one.