Raf Simons will be looking to the past for inspiration in his new role as Christian Dior's artistic director.

The Belgian sartorialist was recently named as John Galliano's successor at the French fashion house and while he wants to put his own mark on the collections, he is keen to pay tribute to the label's history.

"My aim is a very modern Dior, but at the end of the day, I also look back. I find that period between 1947 and 1957 extremely attractive, and there was a lot of modernity. There was the romantic appeal looking back to his mother and the belle epoque, but there was also a constant evolution in shape, changing proportions and the ideas connected to the World War were revolutionary," he told The New York Times.

Simons said he was thrilled to be given the Dior job as he has always been an admirer of the company.