Better late than never!
But some things take time and taking in Jonathan Anderson’s first womenswear collection for Dior took me a little longer than usual.
Not because I didn’t like it, but because we live in an era where we’re flooded with opinions online. I needed to pause and figure out what my own emotions were as I watched the silhouettes past me at the show.
I have to admit: the show was a full feast for the eyes. Everything felt so new - which, I’m pretty sure, was exactly Jonathan Anderson’s intention.
I immediately picked up on the Dior heritage references - the bows, the hydrangeas, the echoes of John Galliano's CD era, Jonathan Anderson's signature torsadé trousers, and his sharp instinct for accessories, with diamanté bunny heels which I personally wouldn't say no to. There were also incredible red-carpet dresses, deeply rooted in Dior’s couture savoir-faire,.
I was being fed a lot of information, from many directions at once, and I found myself wondering: Who is the new Dior girl?
At times she appeared romantic in a pleated white dress; at others, she was a cool, rebellious It girl in a mini denim skirt with a very blasé attitude.
I couldn’t quite make up my mind.
But then the data-driven side of me kicked in. And you might ask: what does data have to do with creativity?
Nowadays, creativity is crucial - but, to put it bluntly, so is selling. Some brands celebrate a strong MIV (Media Impact Value), but as I often say: a good MIV with a weak collection will earn you Instagram fame, not pay your bills.
I scanned each look live, asking myself: which silhouettes will I see on teenagers? Which pieces will resonate with powerful women at work? Which prints will end up on jacket linings?
And they were all there.
Jonathan Anderson has an uncanny intuition for understanding cultural movements. His debut collection offered heritage pieces, red-carpet moments, viral items (we really do need to talk about that belt…), and while it felt like a lot to digest, I think that was intentional - a grand opening chapter brimming with ideas, with the promise to explore each direction in depth in future seasons as the story unfolds.
Dior feels more anchored in 2025.
