Raf Simons drew raves for his minimalist take at Jil Sander but don't expect him to rehash that particular aesthetic at Christian Dior because this pony insists there's more to him than one trick. Speaking with WWD, Simons elaborated on his vision for Dior and the immense respect he has for its founder. 

Simons didn't deny that he's a minimalist, but he insisted that he's also a romantic and a lover of nature, much like Mon. Dior himself. While at Jil Sander "purism" was the name of the game, for his new home at 30 avenue Montaigne, the key word is "femininity." He added, I wouldnt go to that place if I only had minimalism in mind. Im very aware of what the environment is about.

The designer also expressed his devotion to the house of Dior and to its proud legacy. When Im married to a house," he explained, "I will fully embrace its original intention, its original heritage and meaning," which Simons described as "beautiful, endless and permanent."

Though Chrisrian Dior died only ten years after founding his eponymous house and changing fashion forever with the New Look, Simons was quick to praise the sheer amount of work the couturier was able to accomplish in such a short time, saying, The shape evolution was constant, it was very revolutionary. The impact was immediate.

Simons is now in Paris working on his first couture collection for which the world will wait with bated breath until June for Couture Fashion Week. Haute Couture lives on! [WWD]