Raf Simons Replacing John Galliano for Christian Dior ???

For months a group of names has swarmed around the creative director’s job at Dior, after the French fashion house dismissed former head designer John Galliano back in March, 2011 following his arrest at a Paris bar for racist and anti-Semitic behavior.

Among the names mentioned early on were Marc Jacobs, Riccardo Tisci, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Alber Elbaz. Then in November it was Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Raf Simons. Today, Women’s Wear Daily, quoting industry sources, said Mr. Simons is in discussion for the Dior job, and are finalizing the contract for the Belgian designer.

If judged solely as a minimalist, Mr. Simons might seem an odd fit for romantic Dior, but his Jil Sander collections are actually proof of a nimble mind that seeks a broader aesthetic expression. And Dior is much more than the crinoline narratives that its former designer, John Galliano, adored.