Jonathan Anderson Presents Theatrical Dior Menswear Collection at Musée Rodin
Jonathan Anderson staged his second menswear show for Dior at the historic Musée Rodin in Paris, creating a theatrical presentation that blended punk aesthetics with Poiret-inspired elegance. The show attracted notable guests including actors Robert Pattinson and Mia Goth, alongside Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who passed Auguste Rodin's iconic sculpture The Thinker on their way to the Wednesday afternoon presentation.
Exploring a 'New Aristocracy' Through Eccentricity
Speaking backstage before the show, Anderson described his collection as "another character study" focused on exploring "the idea of a new aristocracy." The 41-year-old designer, dressed in his signature faded Levi's jeans and navy cashmere sweater, explained he wanted to "ignore the aspect of money" and instead concentrate on "their eccentricity" when reimagining social hierarchy for contemporary fashion.
The opening looks perfectly captured this vision with models wearing sequin camisole tops, skinny jeans, and snakeskin boots. Every model sported obviously synthetic wigs, ranging from scruffy faded styles to bright canary-yellow creations that added dramatic flair to the presentation.
Punk-Iness Meets Poiret: A Historical Fashion Fusion
Anderson revealed his inspiration came during daily walks down Avenue Montaigne, where he noticed a mosaic dedicated to Paul Poiret near the Dior store. The French designer, who died in 1944, was renowned for rejecting traditional couture techniques like corsets in favour of belle époque theatricality. Anderson explained he wanted to play with Poiret's sense of "ease"—something Christian Dior famously rejected with his structured New Look collection in 1947.
"I didn't want normality," Anderson stated, describing the resulting aesthetic as "punk-iness meets Poiret." This fusion manifested in bar jackets cropped above the hip rather than at the traditional thigh length, sometimes revealing slivers of belly, and suiting that Anderson described as "slightly fucking with the proportions" through prewar references or 1960s cuts.
Eclectic References and Collage Approach
Known for his diverse inspirations, Anderson's mood board featured New Jersey musician MK Gee, whose influence appeared in roomy parka jackets with Poiret-esque frou-frou sleeves layered over neat tailoring. The British comedy Withnail and I also informed the collection through Richard E Grant's lived-in aesthetic, translated into faded and distressed fabrics.
Since becoming Dior's first solo creative director for both menswear and womenswear in June 2025—a position last held by Dior himself—Anderson has embraced a "collaging things together" approach. He pointed to a powder-blue polo shirt, typically associated with golf courses, which he adorned with sparkly epaulettes and paired with floral printed trousers, noting he appreciates when a look has "a bit of kind of wrongness" to it.
Navigating a Fragile Luxury Market
This ambitious direction represents a significant shift for a brand that has traditionally played it safe, particularly within a fragile luxury market. The timing coincides with economic challenges, including recent tariff threats from Donald Trump regarding Greenland that caused shares in Dior's parent company LVMH to drop 4% earlier in the week.
However, Anderson believes a unique point of view and focus on quality can differentiate Dior from competitors and justify premium pricing. Having had just a month to prepare for his menswear debut last June and three weeks for the women's show, he's now enjoying developing new fabrics, especially ahead of his couture debut scheduled for next week.
Commercial Impact and Gender-Fluid Appeal
Items from Anderson's debut collections have only recently begun arriving in stores, meaning his commercial impact will become clearer in coming weeks. Interestingly, he noted that female customers are already purchasing men's bar jackets "because it's a bit more kind of anti-fitting."
Anderson is actively working to "bridge the two ateliers," explaining this reflects "how we shop today." He compared the approach to a dessert menu where "you leave the consumer to kind of make the decision for themselves. They can mix it up and find their own personal style."
"I am not Christian Dior and I am not Dior the brand," Anderson reflected, "but I am here to add a chapter to it."
Luxury Fashion's Broader Landscape
Elsewhere in Paris fashion week, Pharrell Williams presented his vision for Louis Vuitton's future luxury direction. The creative director described his collection as "retro-futuristic" with technical tailoring that included double-breasted suits in houndstooth and herringbone checks that became reflective under lights, purposefully crinkled shirts designed to sculpt to the wearer, and jackets featuring temperature-regulating technology.
Guests including Adolescence star Stephen Graham and musician Skepta watched the presentation from seats arranged around a giant prefabricated home also designed by Williams, continuing fashion's exploration of how luxury evolves in contemporary culture.
