After his first (and perhaps overly) transgressive Dior Homme ready-to-wear collection a few days earlier, Jonathan Anderson returned to restraint and sculptural elegance for his first Haute Couture collection at the Musée Rodin on January 26.
For his Act I Haute Couture, Jonathan Anderson chose to reconnect with the grandeur characteristic of the fashion house founded by Christian Dior in 1947, but infused it with a healthy dose of contemporary femininity (androgynous faces, no fitted outfits, and rather short dresses). Rather than starting with a blank page, the British designer chose to slip in a few references to Raf Simons, one of his predecessors, renowned for his minimalism and floral scenography.
Continuity was also on the agenda through the invitation cards, where each box, filled with a bouquet of cyclamen and a black ribbon, served as a touching reminder of the gift given to Jonathan Anderson by John Galliano, his mentor and idol. The latter was also present at the show.
In other words, it was a renaissance for the man who, after bringing glory to Dior in the 1990s and 2000s, was dismissed in February 2021 after being caught making anti-Semitic remarks while drunk in a Parisian café. Three years later, he returned to success at Maison Margiela, where he worked for ten years.
Myth and botany
Christian Dior, the founder of the Parisian fashion house, never made a secret of his love of flowers and gardens. One need only delve into the archives of the House to see the recurring presence of flowers, particularly in the Miss Dior fragrance campaigns and in Raf Simons’ fashion shows. During his three-and-a-half-year tenure, the Belgian designer made a lasting impression with his inaugural show (Fall-Winter 2012-2013), featuring a Dior silhouette that was both elegant and minimalist. This feat was also marked by the walls of a mansion covered in flowers. For the Spring-Summer 2014 collection, the floral decor had, like Jonathan Anderson’s first Haute Couture show, taken to the heights.
It is therefore no surprise to see a floral inspiration permeating Jonathan Anderson’s entire show, from the volume of the silhouettes to the ornamental details, including the hair accessories and the scenography. For the occasion, the top (or rather the ceiling) of the Rodin Museum was studded with moss and cyclamen. It was a kind of upside-down world—more rustic and optimistic—than the portal between two worlds seen in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. In the magical world of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, the bags and clutches pay homage to nature, resembling ladybugs or… zucchini.
This floral universe coincides this year with the centenary of the death of the famous water lily painter, Claude Monet, whose work is punctuated with weeping willows (as seen in the knit drapery at the show) and water lilies. Some outfits seem to straddle the line between Japanese-inspired and antique silhouettes, replaying, in a way, the Greek myth of Philemon and Baucis. After offering hospitality to Zeus and his son Hermes, these two elderly people were transformed into trees at the time of their death, according to their last wishes.
Officially, however, it was the 18th century that served as the common thread, thus coming full circle with Monsieur Christian Dior, who, at the end of World War II, had reconnected with the spectacular and the baroque with his grand ball gowns.
In stark contrast to the current dark times—as with his predecessor Maria Grazia Chiuri, now at Fendi—Jonathan Anderson proposed a more colorful wardrobe, notably featuring the powder pink hue of cyclamen. Yellow and red floral embroidery illuminated jet-black outfits, while dyed rooster feathers worked into skirts evoked a glowing sun.
The collection oscillates between a solemn and sculptural—or rather bulbous—grand evening, featuring short balloon dresses above the knee and looser outfits with a purely bohemian ethos (notably through the use of fringes). This gypsy vibe was even reflected in the soundtrack, with Nico, the singer of the legendary psychedelic rock band The Velvet Underground, performing a track from the album Chelsea Girl (1967): “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.” This choice is reminiscent of Chloé’s flamboyant and bohemian resurrection with Chemena Kamali during her Fall-Winter 2023-24 show, which featured the Velvet Underground’s Femme Fatale. As for the more formal aspect, it can be found in the timeless and world-famous score of Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and its winter flight, performed here by Belgian violinist Arthur Grumiaux and the Solistes Romands (1980).
Seeking to demystify the world of couture, the House of Dior opened the doors of the show space with an exhibition entitled Grammar of Forms. Jonathan Anderson’s creations dialogue with the work of the House’s founder as well as with the sculptural creations of Kenyan ceramicist Magdalene Odundo. “Couture is a lens through which I can examine the present, reassemble it and reimagine it,” said the British designer.
Read also > Paris Fashion Week: at Dior, Jonathan Anderson opens Pandora’s box
Featured photo: © Christian Dior Couture
