DIOR SS26

Jonathan Anderson has arrived at Dior.

The UK born designer appeared well aware of the ripple effect his departure from Loewe has left on the fashion world at large with many viewing his exit as a pivotal moment in the ever-shifting scene of creative directorships which kicked off this Spring. 

In his much awaited debut at the Parisian fashion house, Anderson stuck closely to a surreal-ish theme that can be best described as “Rich kids across time.” 

Models stalked a monochrome runway in looks that found themselves in a murky middle ground between 1800s formalwear and 80s movie villains. Spencer jackets met bootcut jeans. Frock coats were buttoned over bare chests. By and large the point was clear: the era of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior has begun.

Standout moments of the show included a number of bow tie collars, often styled on their own, or otherwise wrapped tightly around a tastefully popped-collar (a classic Anderson motif). Look 20 also stood out as an overall well-curated outfit— a blue and red vest buttoned over the statement white bow tie and a set of flowing blue jeans. Walking the runway in between looks that screamed finance-bro chic and Victorian nobility, this look struck a welcome balance, showing the clear highs that a designer like Anderson can bring. 

I still can’t quite tell where I land on one of the more absurdist silhouettes of the show. Anderson chose to design several pairs of over-pleated shorts for this Spring/Summer line, a possible homage to the pannier ruffles that are nearly synonymous with gentlewomen of the 17th and 19th centuries. It is certainly an ambitious concept, and one that I think comes through with clearer execution in the Gogo-gadget-style trench-coat which walked several looks later.

If Anderson’s debut can be criticized for one thing, it might well be the lack of color. For the most part, the show kept itself chromatically conservative, small pops of Loewe-referential hues cropping up only at certain points by way of green and pink knitwear. Of course, there were a handful of other colorful moments, but whether it was his intention or not, it felt very much as though a designer as prolific as Anderson could have used color more tactfully— that is to say benefiting the overall look by using color rather than appealing to color’s absence. 

Love it or hate it, so begins an era of fresh creative intrigue in fashion, and, as usual, Jonathan Anderson is right there in the thick of it. His debut show at Dior marks a turning point for the brand toward a decidedly Andersonian future and really… who could be mad about that?