For the first time, a camera infiltrates the Dior ateliers.

Raf Simons was appointed to the vacant position of Dior's Artistic Director in 2012. Hailing from Belgium, he studied industrial design in his student days and learned fashion design through self-study. Known as a "minimalist," he was thought to be the antithesis of the legacy inherited from Monsieur Dior. Furthermore, his major appointment, despite having no prior experience presenting haute couture collections, defied most expectations.



This "event" stunned the fashion world. Moreover, while the preparation for a typical collection usually requires five to six months, he was given only eight weeks. Dior and I, a documentary chronicling these eight weeks leading up to the collection, will be released in Japan.

The film was directed by Frédéric Tcheng, who also co-directed Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (2011) with Lisa Immordino Vreeland and Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt. For the first time since Christian Dior's maison was established in 1947, a camera was granted access to the atelier on the top floor of the Dior headquarters, meticulously capturing Raf Simons and the seamstresses who work there.

Dresses born from a rising designer and the seamstresses who carry on tradition

July 2, 2012. The unveiling of Dior's Autumn/Winter Haute Couture collection in Paris was met with immense anticipation from fashion insiders worldwide. Everyone was holding their breath, eager to see what the debut collection of the new Artistic Director, Raf Simons, would bring.



Eight weeks prior, the camera was granted entry into the atelier on the top floor of Dior headquarters, the very heart of the maison. There, Raf Simons and his design team were introduced to the 105 experienced seamstresses, the "treasures" of Dior.

From there, the arduous journey to the collection began. The camera followed Raf Simons and the seamstresses, capturing their tension, anxiety, fatigue, and ultimately, their joy. Finally, 54 haute couture pieces were completed, and the collection's curtain rose.

The eight weeks leading up to the presentation of dresses that captivate the world on the runway. The story of Raf Simons, who inherits the tradition of a prestigious maison and forges a new history, alongside the proud seamstresses, is sure to ignite the passion within us.

Dior and I
Opening March 14th (Saturday) at Bunkamura Le Cinema and nationwide.
Director | Frédéric Tcheng
Starring | Raf Simons, Dior Atelier Staff, and others
Distribution | Arthouse Films, Open Sesame
2014 / France / 90 min
http://dior-and-i.com


© CIM Productions