Read This, Then Rethink All Your Black Turtlenecks

What do a storied French fashion house and the modern style of Tokyo have in common?

A wildly enthusiastic community of fashion fanatics; a rich, complex history; and Rei Kawakubo come to mind. Since Dior debuted its pre-fall collection in the Japanese capital, we can add one more to the list: Raf Simons, who brought cohesiveness to the two worlds once again. Turtlenecks were the surprising glue with which he held it all together.

While a plain, black, high-neck tee has become a symbol of French style — Audrey Hepburn's Funny Face comes to mind — Dior’s creative director turned that solid staple on its head. He replaced simplicity with sequins. Lots of them. From beneath sweet jumper dresses and structured oversized coats peeked shiny collars in shades of black, silver, navy, and ruby. The disco-esque layers added whimsy to the polished designs, a treat for the fashion magpies in the crowd.

Let's not do anything rash and toss aside all of our solid turtlenecks, but this pop-of-shimmer approach is pretty appealing. Especially considering the current time of the year. Click over to see how Simons reimagined Dior with a dose of Tokyo, and gave us major holiday style inspiration in the process.