Simons hosts exclusive Dior Couture show for fashion students

Creative director for legendary fashion house Dior, Raf Simons, is giving back to the fashion

learning community. The Belgian fashion designer decided to host a special Dior couture show on Sunday for the brightest fashion students from around the world.

Sixteen schools were invited to participate and send their best students, including the Royal College of Arts from London, Parsons School of Design from New York and Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, who enjoyed a privately organized show alongside employees from the fashion house's own ateliers.

“It’s wonderful to connect with students and the atelier people, who don’t normally get to see the show,” said Simons to WWD, who was busy handing out advice to the budding young fashion students after the show.

“I think as a student you shouldn't think about the system, but just what you really, really believe in, and in the beginning reach out to other people who believe in it, rather than those who are in control,” he added.

Simons also gave the visiting fashion students a sneak preview of Dior's latest collection at the ateliers, which the students thoroughly enjoyed as no one is allowed access to the ateliers. Simons, who previously taught at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna for a number of years, admitted that he missed teaching.

“It’s the most satisfying job, at least for me. It’s because I need this dialogue between generations and different cultures,” he explained. Simons, who took time to speak to the students, take pictures and shake hands was pleased with the outcome of the meeting and the potential the students poised for the industry.

“In five, six years from now they will probably kick me out. But that's how it should be; that's the cycle,” he concluded.