Dior Homme

>> Raf Simons has been the artistic director of the women's division of Dior for a few weeks now but hasn't spent much of that time with his menswear counterpart Kris Van Assche.

Van Assche, seen above, hosted a party at the Dior men's pop-up store in New York this weekend and told WWD that he and Simons have "never been in the same place at the same time so we never got close. But I hugely admire his work."

Both men are Belgian designers who got famous for their innovative menswear, but Van Assche says that just because he and Simons come from common backgrounds doesn't mean that they have a similar aesthetic.

"I think it’s a bit of a cliché, no?" he said of that idea. He added that Simons's appointment is "great news. Let's just wait and see how he decides to express himself."

Simons was named as John Galliano's successor at Dior in early April. He'd been creative director of Jil Sander since 2005 but was ousted when Sander herself returned as the brand's designer. Van Assche was Hedi Slimane's first assistant at Dior Homme and left to present his first menswear collection in 2005. He was named design director at Dior Homme in 2007.

Photo: Kris Van Assche takes a bow at the Fall 2012 show for his eponymous menswear label.

>> Hedi Slimane's new job as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent was just announced two weeks ago, and he's wasting no time in assembling his new staff.

>Vogue UK reports that Slimane has hired Laurence Kleinknecht as YSL's worldwide press director. Kleinknecht has managed her public relations company for the last 16 years and served as head of PR for Dior Homme when Slimane was its head designer. She also represented him when he left Dior Homme to focus on photography.

Kleinknecht's website says she currently represents DJ Chloe Thevenin and handbag designer Delphine Delafon.

Dior Homme creative director Kris Van Assche launches womenswear with Petite Taille, a version of his famous super skinny jeans.

Hudson Jean's high end collection of one-of-a-kind denim is available at Barneys New York.

"Paris has a long history of creative men and women who in spite of their own generosity of spirit and imagination just never succeeded in making the fortunes they seemed to deserve. That’s the way it is." Cathy Horyn on the news Lacroix will close its haute couture and rtw business.

Simon Doonan's white house holiday decorations include a 400-pound gingerbread house.

A new book celebrates a century of dogs in fashion.

Penelope Cruz graces the December/January issue cover of Interview magazine.

The return of fashion illustration is being lead by Danny Roberts, Laura Laine, and Blue Logan.

Source: WWD

>> Kris Van Assche Makes First US Trip While at Dior Homme for Fashion's Night Out — Kris Van Assche is making his first official press trip stateside since he started at Dior Homme in March 2007 — and the event is open to the public. In honor of Fashion's Night Out in New York, he's making a personal appearance Sept. 10 on the third floor at Barneys from 8-9 PM, where he will be available for chatting and signing Dior Homme sneakers. [FNO]

Chloe Sevigny's women's and men's range for Opening Ceremony has dropped and the aesthetic is "gay lumberjack" with a "slight homage" to Sevigny's favorite designers.

The rumor of Gareth Pugh taking over at Dior Homme was reportedly confirmed backstage at the Loiuse Goldin show yesterday. 

Hilldun Corporation and Rosenthal & Rosenthal Inc.--two leading factoring firms--have suspended Barneys accounts for at least a week.

The art and furniture collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge went up for auction yesterday, and is slated to fetch $392 million over the next three days. 

>> INSIDER WIRE —Earlier this week, deputy managing director at Christian Dior (and LVMH heiress) Delphine Arnault sat front row at Gareth Pugh's debut menswear show, prompting rumors that he is being looked at to either consult for Dior Homme or perhaps take over from Kris van Assche.  So far, there's only been denial from both camps — Delphine chalked her appearance up to "always [being] interested in young designers," and a Pugh spokesman assured: "There have been no discussions whatsoever with Dior or LVMH about any kind of design role." [WWD]
*image: source