Miles Socha at WWD reported today that Dior Homme is ending their contract with designer Hedi Slimane. Dior executives have chosen Belgian designer Kris Van Assche as his replacement. Van Assche has worked with Hedi Slimane previously at Dior Homme and Yves Saint Laurent. His namesake collection premiered at Paris Fall/Winter 2005 collections. While his first collection was widely praised his last two collections have struggled to please the critics, including myself.

Although I am happy to see Slimane go, the innovation of the Womens line was never shared with Slimane, He tended to keep to his signature look and not shape the line by Dior’s standard. That skinny leg pant is slowing disappearing but Slimane won’t give up a good thing. Hopefully his own label will give him the freedom he needs. Fingers crossed for Van Assche!