Tom Ford lensed by Jeff Burton for AnOtherBoth Tom Ford and Hedi Slimane make the list in today’s WWD piece on John Galliano’s replacement at Christian Dior. All bets are that Riccardo Tisci will get the position but both names are on the watch lists.

Writing today in Anne Talks Business, I again made the point that the next Dior designer should express personal values that resonate. While there are dozens of fashionistas hanging on every word uttered by a chosen few designers, the cultural landscape is changing.

The Rise of Smart Sensuality Values

Riccardo Tisci observed to the Financial Times:

It’s a strange time in fashion - everything has got so big. We can get very insular, the fashion tribe - we think we’re a lot of people but actually we’re very small - but my mother, my sisters don’t understand fashion now, which is how I realised what the final consumer feels. They don’t want to buy image, they want to buy substance.”

Those values are declared in a major way on the LVMH corporate website, probably the most impressive I’ve seen although Gucci also embraces the Smart Sensuality woman: smart, sexy and with heart. Translate ‘heart’ into philanthropy that works and a willingness to get dirty trying to make things right in the world.

Both Tom Ford and Hedi Slimane have interviews today. Tom Ford is in AnOther; Hedi Slimane in The Guardian and WWD.