Images courtesy of Dior & Jonathan Anderson
REFERENCE EXHAUSTION:
JONATHAN ANDERSON'S DIOR AW26
SEQUINS, FURS, NEON MULLETS AND EVERYTHING NICE; CURIOUSLY SELECTED INGREDIENTS IN A VAGUELY-FOLLOWED RECIPE FOR JONATHAN ANDERSON'S DIOR AUTUMN/WINTER 26 MENSWEAR. ISABELLA SENOI SHARES HER VIEWS.
Written by Isabella Senoi
Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard
The shift from modernity-loving Loewe and its embracing of abstraction still seems to haunt the Creative Director. Despite undertaking this mammoth role at the traditional maison, Anderson does not back away from his long-held ideals of disruption: “I don't want normality; I don't want repetition” he said, at what appeared to be the pre-show press conference of the century (featuring cinematography by Luca Guadagnino – though to what end remains unclear).
Indeed, the collection is anything but regular, with eccentricity being the singular thread thinly connecting all of Anderson's seemingly unrelated references; Paul Poiret, punk, Mk.gee and traditional tailoring among them. The first having been the backbone to the show, with reworked Poiret dresses tucked into skinny jeans – a Y2K flapper's uniform – opening the night. The stage had been set, the turn-of-the-century revolutionary had been visually included. Then, just as quickly, the narrative went out the window. Swapping out tentative coherence for tweed cinched jackets, bejewelled epaulettes on pastel polos, and slack sleep-shirt-like jumpers. The styling throws all elements at the wall, and what sticks seems like a game of random association. Bags are designed for, apparently, a wholly separate collection. The only remnants of classic Dior, peppered across a fraction of the overall looks.
Tailoring is where the collection shines brightest – still disruptive and interesting, though with much clearer intentions. The adorning of blazers with ultra-dramatic fur cuffs and silk capes continues to subvert sartorial conventions, just as Poiret intended, without sacrificing thematic sense. Here, in true Anderson fashion, florals and furs make sense on a puffer-jacket jellyfish silhouette. It is in these scholarly shapes, including pleats, jacquard and tassels, that the Dior atelier's expert craftsmanship is best appreciated. The delicate nature of Anderson's sophomore Men's showing extends beyond savoir-faire and into the models themselves. Casting is particularly soft in facial features and androgynous in nature, creating a contrast with the urban configurations favoured in outerwear. Anderson modernises aristocratic silhouettes beyond the present day, reevaluating the look of masculine authority and subsequently the night's most interesting point of view.
The final looks continue the pattern of mild incoherence from the show's first half, now featuring knits. Slim-fit trousers and bare calves force the eyes south of the ankles to footwear. Anderson's bets for the season were angular, reptilian-clad booties and suede Dior-logo sneakers, the latter potentially a reference to Mk.gee's techy sound. The supposed punk-influence was present purely in the electrifying synthetic hair framing models with deliberately gaunt visages. This aspect in particular feels like a performative effort to come across as provocative and avant-garde. In an attempt to emulate “aristo-youth” characteristics, Anderson loses the focus on an otherwise innovative study in eccentricity.
Poiret's pioneering attitude has fortified the Dior CD’s already-bold approach. But does being the first automatically constitute applause? It's clear this is Anderson, but is it Dior? The answer may lie in Women's A/W collections this February.
