Riding high after securing the bridal commission of the year — designing pop megastar Taylor Swift’s wedding dress — it was perhaps no surprise Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson chose to send a wedding dress down the runway for the brand’s Fall Winter haute couture show in Paris.
A bridal look has often held the position of closing haute couture shows in the past, but with no vision of Swift’s Dior dress as yet, it was a sure bet a global audience would lap up this detail.
The botanical femininity of Anderson’s designs extended to this look, an off-the-shoulder gown with fern-detail lace overlay and a sweeping train that extended behind.
Dior dressed both Swift and her husband Travis Kelce for their New York wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday. Details have been few and far between, but the guest’s black-tie ensembles, have fueled the fashion-focused buzz around the occasion.
WWD reported Anderson as saying on the morning of the couture show it was a “big honour” to dress Swift for her big day. “It was a joy to work with her. We became very good friends,” he said. “It’s an emotional thing doing someone’s wedding.”
The Guardian also reported the designer mentioned it would “all come out in due course,” hinting we may indeed get a look at the pop star and the football player’s bespoke Dior looks.
For the Fall Winter 26/27 collection models emerged onto a black reflective catwalk dotted with large fern plants, and paraded looks including several constructed entirely of embroidered silk flowers, exploring Anderson’s theme of nature and gardens.
Inspired by the work of American sculptor Lynda Benglis, the collection featured four handbags created in collaboration with her. Pleats – a trademark of Benglis’ work – appeared in silk chiffon blouses, trousers, and jackets, while giant blue tulle fans were splayed across the front of a dress.
Front-row guests at the haute couture show, including actor Josh O’Connor, model Alexa Chung and film director Baz Luhrmann, cooled themselves with black bamboo fans that Dior sent with its invitations. The show took place in the gardens of the Rodin Museum as another heatwave hit France, with temperatures topping 30 degrees Celsius and set to rise further.
Anderson, previously creative director at Loewe, often works with artists and had previously featured Benglis’ sculptures in a show for the Spanish label in 2023.
Dior’s classic Bar jacket was reimagined in fern green tweed with a frayed fringe, or in grey houndstooth wool draped into a large bow, while another jacket was embroidered all over with white silk threads.
Coats were also fluid and roomy, textured and fringed or featuring dramatic pleats and bows. The grey, white and silver colour palette was punctuated with vibrant greens and blues.
Bags inspired by Benglis were giant and sculptural, in metallic plissé, while shoes were decorated with floral embellishments or pleated metal bows.
Jewellery included pieces designed by artisans in Jaipur, India.
See all the looks:
Photos / Dior
