At left, a look from Raf Simons' final collection for Jil Sander, fall 2012. At right, Christian Dior makes adjustments on a coat from his summer 1952 collection. Photos: Imaxtree, Getty

News broke this afternoon that LVMH will finally announce a successor to John Galliano at Dior. Starting with this summer’s haute couture collection, the brand will be led by Raf Simons. Simons, who’s been the creative director of Jil Sander since 2005, is celebrated for his modernist approach to fashion. His lines are clean, his colors bright, his tailoring precise and his vision strong.  The house of Dior, from its founder through to Galliano, is a bit lighter, known as much for the New Look as for its feminine silhouettes and consistent pastel palette. The marriage of Simons’ aesthetic and Dior’s history will captivate the fashion world.  Below, a few of Simons’ looks that may have been inspired by the legendary French designer. 
Photos: Getty, Imaxtree At left, a look from Christian Dior’s spring 1959 collection.  At right, Raf Simons’ spring 2008 collection.
Photos: Getty, Imaxtree At left, a suit from Dior’s fall 1957 collection.  At right, Raf Simons’ debut collection for Jil Sander for fall 2005.
Photos: Imaxtree, Getty At left, a sheer white look from Raf Simons’ spring 2010 collection for Jil Sander.  At right, a look from Dior’s 1966 collection.
Photos: Imaxtree, Getty At left, one of Raf Simons’ final looks at Jil Sander.  At right, a look from Dior’s Grands Bal collection in the summer of 1957.