Backstage With Jonathan Anderson at Dior FW26

Summary

• Jonathan Anderson’s second menswear outing for Dior rejects traditional normality by staging a creative collision between the fluid Belle Époque elegance of Paul Poiret and the modern indie-rock aesthetic of musician Mk.gee

• The collection features a radical mix of high-low styling, opening with 1920s-inspired couture bodices paired with distressed denim and reptile-patterned Cuban heels to establish a new architectural silhouette for the House

• Tailoring is defined by intentional proportional shifts, ranging from hyper-shrunken jackets that expose the hipbone to everyday wool sweaters extended into ankle-length cocoons and technical parkas adorned with archival Poiret silk panels

Backstage at Dior’s Fall/Winter 2026 show, the atmosphere felt less like a traditional atelier and more like a cinematic laboratory—fitting, as director Luca Guadagnino moved through the space filming Jonathan Anderson’s pre-show preparations. “I don’t want normality,” Anderson stated flatly, a sentiment immediately visible in the electric, spiky wigs by Guido Palau. This was a collection of “new radicals,” where the ghostly elegance of the Belle Époque met the gritty, modern energy of indie-musician Mk.gee. The result was a brilliantly chaotic collage that transformed 30 Avenue Montaigne into a site of stylistic rebellion.

The catalyst for the season was a simple pavement plaque honoring Paul Poiret. After acquiring an unworn 1922 Poiret dress, Anderson performed a sartorial experiment, merging the couture house’s fluid history with Dior’s structured precision. The show opened with bodices reworked by the Dior ateliers, paired shockingly with distressed denim and D-toed reptile boots. It was a confrontation between the aristocratic and the everyday—a theme that carried through to the “collapsing” silhouettes of the tailoring.

Anderson played with the timeline of the suit, offering hyper-shrunken 1960s jackets that hit above the hip and 1940s houndstooth blazers with jarringly short proportions. Everyday wool sweaters were reimagined as ankle-length cocoons, while technical parkas were elevated with cape panels featuring butterfly jacquards from Poiret’s original silk suppliers. From the punk-inspired ruff collars to the archival brocades, the collection proved that Anderson isn’t interested in a formula. He is interested in the “weird,” the tactile, and the thrill of seeing old and new collide with spontaneous, dangerous ease. Take a closer look at the details from the collection here.

 

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