Dior’s Paris Spirit, Paper Picks an Editor
PARIS PARIS: For its fall men’s campaign, Dior recreated the set of its runway show, a replica of the Alexandre III bridge, as a painted backdrop in sepia and blue.
It made for a cinematic setting for Rafael Pavarotti’s photographs showcasing the designs of Kim Jones, artistic director of menswear at the French fashion house. The idealized version of Paris was part of the designer’s tribute to founder Christian Dior on the house’s 75th anniversary.
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“I really love the colors of this campaign, a perfect reflection of the spirit of Paris and the love of fashion. It’s a masculine and luxurious collection, like an echo to Christian Dior,” Jones said in a statement.
Rafael Pavarotti/Courtesy of Dior
The images feature models Alex Khristenko, Indiana Van’t Slot, Jie Zheng, Suma Nicolau and Viktor Krohm in a mix of tailoring and sportswear rife with the house’s codes, from “cannage” quilting to leopard prints. The house’s signature Bar jacket is the basis for a long coat or a black leather version.
“I wanted to do a conversation with Christian Dior as the ultimate collaboration,” Jones told WWD at the time of the show. The creative director recently switched gears after three years of partnerships with leading contemporary artists.
Accessories include a Saddle bag transformed into a holder for a bouquet of pink roses, and Dior’s eagerly awaited collaboration with Birkenstock on sandals. Several looks are topped off with minimalist versions of berets designed by Stephen Jones, who is celebrating 25 years at the house and who Jones brought out for the final bow at the January show.
The campaign, set to break in print on Wednesday, was art-directed by Ronnie Cooke Newhouse and styled by Melanie Ward and Ellie Grace Cumming. Peter Philips did the makeup and Guido the hair. — JOELLE DIDERICH
PAPER’S PICK: Justin Moran is the new editor in chief of Paper magazine effective immediately, said Paper owner Tom Florio, chief executive officer and founder of ENTech Media Group, parent of Paper.
Moran joined Paper in 2017 as digital director and has lately moved Paper from its print roots to a social media powered community platform.
Paper ceased print operations at the outset of the pandemic in 2020, when like many legacy print publications, it laid off staff and instituted temporary pay cuts as the pandemic decimated print advertising revenue.
Florio, a former top executive at Conde Nast, purchased the once-influential counterculture glossy in 2017 from cofounders and coeditors in chief Kim Hastreiter and David Hershkovits. In a statement to WWD he praised Moran’s tenure at Paper and his focus on the LGBTQ community.
“Paper has always been a champion of rising talent and, more recently in its evolution, also became a space for established stars to reinvent themselves and play around,” said Moran in a statement provided to WWD. “I’m excited to keep exploring that intersection and lean even further into the internet generation with our content. Queer ideas are mainstream ideas and Paper will continue being a leader of that ideology.”
Added Florio: “Justin has a deep knowledge and appreciation of the brand’s DNA, a true understanding of our audiences and the cultural conversations that drive them. He has brought intellectual rigor to Paper’s iconic counterculture voice by embracing an LGBTQ ideology.”
During its heyday under Hastreiter, Paper was known for its avant-garde cover spreads and early embrace of the now colloquial “internet culture.” It’s 2014 cover featuring a naked Kim Kardashian (then West) shot by French photographer Jean-Paul Goude generated more than 70 million monthly unique visitors to Papermag.com and was a seminal moment in the magazine’s and pop culture history. — MARISA GUTHRIE
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