“Do you dare enter the house of Dior?” requested the Adam Curtis-directed movie screened earlier than Jonathan Anderson’s debut ladies’s present. The clip, projected onto an inverted pyramid, spliced basic horror tropes with pictures of Dior’s legendary alumni all through the a long time. It was a reminder of the fearsome legacy he now shoulders, but in addition an perception into the daunting prospect that lay forward of the designer upon his appointment.
But if Anderson felt stage fright, it didn’t present. His Spring/Summer 2026 assortment was as irreverent because it was an homage. A dialogue between Dior’s previous, Anderson’s personal archive, and a mischievous intuition for what’s forward.
History was in all places, although by no means dealt with with child gloves. Monsieur Dior’s beloved florals bloomed anew, whereas the enduring Bar jacket reappeared—typically in sculpted kinds, typically shrunken and lower in inexperienced Donegal tweed with a coordinating pleated skirt. The 1949 Junon robe was referenced in a finale costume of oyster-shell beading, whereas intricate lace frocks—weightless with butterfly wings for some exaggeration—and reimagined outerwear spoke to what the Maison and its new artistic helm have in widespread: an obsession with revolutionising silhouettes.
In the lead-up to this week, there was concern {that a} heritage model appointment would mood Anderson’s much-loved creativity, as his success with Loewe was fostered by the model’s extra malleable place when he joined it, in comparison with Dior. However, this debut rapidly shushed these ideas. His sense of humour and propensity for risk-taking prevailed—significantly within the accent division.
Alongside denim minis with tuxedos and bubble skirts, there have been bunny-eared pumps and cabbage rose sneakers, alongside squishy cannage luggage and relaxed suede totes. Stephen Jones’ hats have been a mix of nun’s cornette and navy bicorne, infusing a way of couture fantasy into the combination. If Maria Grazia Chiuri loosened the reins of Dior, Anderson is boldly ushering it into the long run.
Unlike some on the style month docket, Anderson’s signatures aren’t in wash-and-repeat motifs or methods, however in an method full of caprice, wit and difficult conference. And whereas a lot can fall beneath that umbrella, his purity of imaginative and prescient has change into its personal language through which we will recognise his handiwork.
Not the whole lot landed, certain, and the Internet is at the moment up in arms debating its deserves, however Anderson’s level was clear: he’s right here to experiment, not embalm. And in collaging eras and aesthetics and unsettling expectations, the originality of this assortment itself felt like a luxurious.
It could take seasons for Anderson’s Dior to crystallise absolutely, however that’s a part of the pleasure, watching an period discover its voice. For now, he has proven he can honour the Maison’s legacy whereas insisting on his personal language. In a Paris Fashion Week filled with noise and headlines, Dior’s debut spoke in its personal, authentic tone. Anderson’s spark is alive and nicely, and he’s penning the way forward for Dior on his personal phrases.