Raf Simons Exits Dior After Three And A Half Years At The House

Today it has been confirmed that Raf Simons is leaving Christian Dior, after three and a half years (and hundreds of red carpet dresses) at the house. Dior confirmed the news saying that the designer "reached this decision for personal reasons."

Raf's Spring Summer 2016 collection, which was presented in front of 300,000 flowers, was his last for Dior. The designer said in a statement: "It is after careful and long consideration that I have decided to leave my position as creative director of Christian Dior’s women’s collection. It is a decision based entirely and equally on my desire to focus on other interests in my life, including my own brand, and the passions that drive me outside my work."

He continued: "Christian Dior is an extraordinary company, and it has been an immense privilege to write a few pages of this magnificent book. I want to thank Mr. Bernard Arnault for the trust he has put in me, giving me the incredible opportunity to work at this beautiful house surrounded by the most amazing team one could ever dream of. I have also had the chance over the last few years to benefit from the leadership of Sidney Toledano. His thoughtful, heartfelt and inspired management will also remain as one of the most important experiences of my professional career.”

"Raf's tenure at Dior has been inspired and inspiring. He has done a huge amount to modernise the house. From a reinvention of the Bar jacket into a versatile, modern and feminine tailoring solution to his meditation on the New Look and the unashamedly romantic beauty of flowers, he has shown how the codes of the house remain relevant to women today. He will be much missed," said Grazia's fashion director Susannah Frankel.

Raf opened the doors of the atelier in his first few weeks at the house for the documentary Dior and I. He led the house into a more modern direction, and enlisted Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson as the new generation of Dior girls.

Raf Simons was previously at Raf Simons and followed on from John Galliano who left Dior in 2011 following his anti-semetic outbursts. There has been no news about who will be his successor at Dior.

See some of Raf's most dreamy moments at Dior below...