A NEW SPRING AT DIOR: JONATHAN ANDERSON FILLS PARIS WITH WATER LILIES

Dior opened Paris Fashion Week with its Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear show at the historic Jardin des Tuileries. For his second major Dior womenswear outing, creative director Jonathan Anderson delivered a far brighter and more playful vision than his debut collection six months ago. Drawing on the dreamy atmosphere of spring in Paris, the show evoked the water lilies of Claude Monet, leisurely walks through the Tuileries gardens and the sunlit sparkle of the Eiffel Tower.

A promenade across the octagonal pond in the garden was transformed into a catwalk, while the park’s familiar toy sailboats were reimagined as giant lily pads topped with vibrant blooms. Guests received whimsical invitations shaped like miniature versions of classic French green park chairs. An avid art collector who relocated to Paris for the role, Anderson also looked to the romantic leisure scenes of Georges Seurat. The show’s buoyant mood contrasted sharply with his Dior debut, which opened with a film by Adam Curtis mixing horror cinema imagery with archival Dior footage and models hidden beneath shadowy tricorn hats.

Despite the lighthearted setting, Anderson’s signature subversion remained. Slouched trousers hung like tracksuit bottoms but replaced sporty side stripes with rows of tiny covered buttons running from hip to ankle. The designer described the effect as “high-low, in a good way.” Among his favorite pieces was a wine-dark cashmere and mohair coat with a black satin shawl collar, which he described as “masculine, but sexual.” Anderson noted that while Dior is known for dresses, the house also produced some of the greatest coats in fashion history.

The collection balanced strength with softness. Dior’s iconic Bar jacket erupted into chiffon waves at the waist, each layer edged with beads so that the fabric shimmered like rippling water. Dresses bounced with airy volume, while shoes featured polka dots and porcelain flower embellishments. The craftsmanship of Dior’s ateliers whose workforce has recently doubled in size as LVMH continues to expand the brand was highlighted in pointillist paillettes on layered skirts and a shearling coat ironed to resemble Astrakhan lamb fur that closed the show.

Reflecting on his first Dior outing, Anderson recalled that the show was prepared in just 26 days. This season, he said, felt calmer and more forward-looking: “Last year was so intense. Dior has this giant past, and I had to start there. Now I feel free to release it from that. This feels like where I want this thing to go.”