L'Espadon restaurant at the Ritz hotel in Paris, just off the Place Vendome, is one of the city's best spots for people-watching. Actors Sharon Stone and Tom Cruise are regulars and former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin often drops in for tea. But no heads turn when Kris Van Assche, Dior Homme's creative director, makes his entrance.
Dressed in a skinny black jacket, the brand's trademark silhouette and colour, Van Assche has a quiet presence, and that's how he likes it, preferring to let his clothes answer any questions about the depth of his creativity. A perfectly tailored suit has its complexity hidden inside and Van Assche has been cut and sewn in the same fashion, with carefully crafted rules that keep his emotions and creativity on a tight rein.
'I think menswear is about limitations and that is its strength,' he says. 'You can't just drape something over a man's body, it is all about structure. It is very precise.'
More flamboyant designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Yohji Yamamoto might disagree. Their work often suggests they feel stifled by the formality of menswear, but Van Assche revels in the discipline that he imposed on a faltering Dior Homme when he became creative director three years ago.
'Menswear is more about evolution than revolution,' he says. 'You can't get away with the slightest mistake. Half a centimetre the wrong way can destroy a shoulder. And I feel quite comfortable with that.'
Van Assche might be in his comfort zone now but it took him two tough years to get there. Although Dior has been a fashion house for more than 60 years, Dior Homme was created a mere 10 years ago, under the leadership of Hedi Slimane, a French designer known for his love of indie rock and friendships with Lady Gaga and Babyshambles' lead singer, Pete Doherty.