RUNWAY: Dior Homme SS13

Defining Kris Van Assche's SS13 collection for Dior Homme as a "new look" for the house might be a bit sacrilegious for the house, especially when Christian Dior's "New Look" was what drastically changed womenswear, and fashion as a whole, so many decades ago. But the collection he showed today in Paris was a new direction for the brand: sportier, younger and, if truth be told, more wearable outside of high fashion editorial pages. Square suits were soft and lean while drawstring outerwear was a nod to sportswear. A simple color palette, straying on the dark side, was highlighted by trim in brighter colors like gold and gold. Transparency was also heavily featured. In all, it was a very strong collection for Van Assche, much lighter and less constrained than previous offerings, a big coup for the house and for the designer.