The video from the women’s SS26 show already has over 19 million views. This is no coincidence, as Dior is operating under a single creative vision for the first time since Christian Dior. Jonathan Anderson took over Dior Men on April 17, 2025, and two months later (June 2, 2025) assumed full control, including women’s RTW and haute couture. SS26 is therefore a complete package: men’s Spring and Summer 2026 collections, women’s ready-to-wear, and couture, all presented in 2025-2026.
Spring/Summer 2026, what is the new Dior collection like?
Maria Grazia Chiuri left in May 2025 after nine years during which the house achieved over €10 billion in annual revenue. Now Anderson has the space to build something new, although he himself describes his approach as:
“dialogue between past and present”
In other words, it’s not revolution for the sake of revolution. It’s about a dialogue between the archive and the present, about respecting the brand’s DNA and at the same time having the courage to change something. This balance will be crucial when we look at specific design decisions.
How does Anderson read the Dior archive?
When Anderson speaks of a “dialogue between past and present,” he does not mean a museum-like reconstruction. It’s something closer to a craftsman’s experiment, where history becomes a material, not a sanctity.
Archive in motion
The iconic Bar Jacket has been scaled down here to “doll-like” proportions, as if Dior designed it for a miniature theater. The New Look appears as an echo, but without literal interpretation. The most interesting part? The reference to Junon from 1949, with sequin petals arranged like a living organism. Anderson treats the archive like a sketchbook, not a bible.
Silhouettes and materials
We saw:
- bulbous crinolines and bows in the leading role
- back cut like butterfly wings
- bubble skirts, capes, peplums with padded hips
- three-cornered hats (absurd, but it works)
The materials are a blend of Irish Donegal tweed (self-fringed), chantilly lace, and chiffons “frayed like feathers.” Shibori organza, plissé, intarsia. In couture, Anderson constructs internal supports so that the curves appear weightless. Jewelry? Fragments of meteorite, azurite cuffs, miniature 18th-century portraits, and “pearl lambs.”
Accessories make a bold statement: Lady Dior as a suede “bowling” bag, bow-shaped handbags, woven cannage, hobo with D.I.O.R. charms, Roger Vivier Louis shoes with “bunny ears.”
Things take time. And you can see it in every seam.
Calendar, availability, and pickup
The calendar of Dior’s new era shows was spread across three key dates, each with a different context. It’s worth breaking this down, as these locations and slots matter:
| Date | Collection | Place | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27.06.2025 | Dior Men SS26 | Les Invalides | Chardin motifs/Gemäldegalerie |
| 01/10/2025, 2:30 PM | RTW SS26 | Jardin des Tuileries | ~74 silhouettes, 19M+ video views |
| 26-29.01.2026, 2:30 PM | Haute Couture SS26 | Musée Rodin | Slot in the FHCM calendar, exhibitions in the museum |
Availability and reactions
Online and in-store sales began on January 2, 2026. The first signs? The suede Lady Dior bowling bag quickly disappeared from the shelves, as did several other models. The women’s show video surpassed 19 million views, the front row was, as usual, star-studded: Jisoo, Jimin, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron. The campaigns were photographed by David Sims, and the collaboration with Institut Français de la Mode added an educational context.
Opinions? This is where it gets more interesting. Some critics wrote about a “dialogue between past and present” and “stunning execution,” but there were also sharp accusations: “too JW Anderson,” “bad taste,” “not eager to be liked,” and one headline even read “set fire to the internet.” Not everyone is impressed, which, in the case of Dior, is really nothing new.
Bernard Arnault spoke of a “creative refresh,” but what about the numbers? Dior’s revenues in 2024 are around €8.7–10 billion, LVMH Fashion & Leather Goods dropped by 3% in Q4 2025. HSBC forecasts +10% for Dior in 2026; we’ll see if Anderson can maintain the momentum.
Between Memory and Tomorrow
Jonathan Anderson at Dior is a combination that only seems natural once we understand that fashion never exists in a vacuum. His debut collection shows that true innovation is not about erasing history, but about rewriting it anew. It’s not about whether Anderson “understands” Monsieur Dior’s legacy; he simply reads it through his own eyes.
And maybe that’s the whole point of this puzzle. Fashion needs designers who remember where they came from, but aren’t afraid to move forward. Anderson didn’t come to Dior to be a museum curator. He came to create clothes that make sense now, not just look beautiful in retrospectives.
Sisi
High Class Fashion editorial