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Mar 4, 2015
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Dior to release behind-the-scenes documentary

By
AFP-Relaxnews
Published
Mar 4, 2015

After iconic French luxury labels Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, it's the house of Dior's turn to hit the big screen. This month, cinema go-ers in the UK, Australia and Japan will be able to discover the new "Dior and I" feature-length film.

The title of the documentary is a nod to Christian Dior's 1956 memoir "Christian Dior and I". Melding the everyday, pressure-filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the influential French luxury brand's past, Dior's first brand-backed movie release is a tribute to the seamstresses who helped Raf Simons create his first Haute couture collection in just eight weeks, as opposed to the usual five or six months.

Raf Simons takes center stage in the "Dior and I" documentary - Dior


The dramatic crux of the documentary directed by Frédéric Tcheng hangs on Simons' ability to pull off the colossal feat of producing a haute couture collection within a unimaginably tight time frame.

Naturally, Belgian designer Raf Simons plays the starring role in this film that revisits a critical period in the history of the Christian Dior label.

Simons' leading ladies in "Dior and I" are without doubt Florence Chehet, the dynamic and upbeat head seamstress for the atelier 'flou,' and Monique Bailly, the anxious and quick-witted head seamstress for Dior's atelier 'tailleur.'

"For me, they are the two most important people in the house," says Pieter Mulier, Simons' right hand at Dior and longtime collaborator. "Because they have everything in their hands."

After surviving 13 months without a head designer after John Galliano's public fall from grace, in 2012 the French fashion house announced that Raf Simons would fill the vacant seat of artistic director.

The fashion world was up in arms. The self-taught designer whose previous credits included a namesake menswear line and who had been perceived by many as a "minimalist," had always kept a low public profile and, most importantly, had never before worked in haute couture.

"Dior and I" is coming to cinemas in Japan on March 14, Australia on March 26, the UK on March 27, while North American audiences will have a chance to see it starting April 10.

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