What is Dior without Raf Simons?

New York - He is the man who earned his place among the pantheon of legendary fashion designers when he took the helm of iconic luxury brand, Dior. He ushered in a new era for the fashion house after the controversial departure of John Galliano. He was the man who people thought was too minimalist for the job, but still brought his own vision to the famous fashion house named after its founder Christian Dior.

Raf Simons was a man who arrived at Dior as a surprise to many, because, although he had the resume with the design experience, it was questionable if he could bring the drama that Galliano had brought to the designs during his tenure as creative director. Over time, he proved that he could handle the job.

However, a look at the documentary "Dior and I' about Raf Simons and his work at the legendary fashion house was very revealing. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the size of the fashion calendar, and how quickly he had to churn out collections.

Despite the stress he was facing heading up one of the biggest brands in fashions, consumers responded to the designer's work.

From 2011 to 2015 sales grew 60 percent overall under Simons' leadership as creative director. He believed in one thing above all else, that fashion should be wearable, even couture. It was the same approach that Christian Dior himself took to fashion design, and it clearly served both of them well.

For Simons, it was all in the details, with things such as pockets on all his dresses and full-skirted silhouettes reminiscent of the dress that Argentine First Lady Eva Peron once donned in the 50s.

Is Dior better or worse off without Raf Simons

Simons also had a very modern interpretation of Dior's bar coat, which over the course of his time with the label was done in all lengths and types of silhouettes.

For a man who left such a distinct mark on the company, how is Dior expected to carry on without him? By the looks of their recent collections, they aren't doing that great a job with their women's wear.

Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux, the two studio heads for Dior, are unquestionably gifted designers, but they don't have the type of vision Simons did.

For the fall 2016 ready-to-wear show, the duo was praised by Sarah Mower of Voguerunway.com for making the clothes younger and less uptight, but there was just so much black, and even the floral patterns lacked that expensive silhouette Simons could create for the brand. The highlight of collection was knits, and unless you are a t-shirt brand, knits should not be the most exciting thing about your over 50-piece collection for the season.

The small dip from grace for the brand however will hopefully only be temporary.

It was recently announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri is rumored to be the new creative head of Dior. Chiuri is one of the two creative directors of Valentino, along with Pierpaolo Piccioli. The duo has been together for almost 30 years, starting out at the accessories department in Fendi together. If Dior goes through with the appointment of Chiuri, this would be her first solo gig.

While Simons did boost sales of the brand, over the past 18 months they have been slipping. Chiuri could be just what Dior needs, as she has been credited, along with Piccioli, with reviving Valentino, seeing sales quadruple under their tenure.

Could the future of Dior, then, be better off with a different creative director at the helm?

Simons served his time, and has now happily moved on to focusing on his own eponymous label which just has its runway show at Paris Men's Fashion Week. He seems happy with his future career as a designer, and will forever proudly wear a mark few get to wear of having the title of Dior's creative director.

Chiuri might just be what Dior needs, someone who isn't a minimalist, with an eye for turning around a luxury brand's design aesthetic and sales figures. Also, a history maker, as she would the first woman to head the design house if she got the job.

An official announcement of Chiuri's appointment is expected to happen after Dior's couture show in July. The future of Dior most likely lies in her hands, and one can only hope she will create more magic and higher sales than Simons did.

Photos: via Dior facebook