Dior Men pays a punk tribute to Paul Poiret

By Louise Menard.

Jonathan Anderson’s second Dior Men’s show

After two acclaimed Spring/Summer 2026 shows that marked his debut at Dior, Jonathan Anderson reveals his second menswear collection during this Fall/Winter 2026-2027 Fashion Week.

As a matter of fact, the Irish designer is far from being a newcomer in the fashion world. After launching his label JW Anderson in 2008, he teamed up with Donatella Versace in 2013 before taking the reins at Spanish fashion house Loewe. He later joined Uniqlo, designed Rihanna’s stage outfit for the 2023 Super Bowl, and created the costumes for Luca Guadagnino’s film Challengers, released in 2024.

A brilliant career which reached its peak last year. Jonathan Anderson became the first creative director to lead the women’s, men’s, and couture collections for the house located on 30 Avenue Montaigne. A well-deserved recognition for an avant-garde designer capable of handling more than fifteen collections a year. Yet, despite his huge experience and talent, Jonathan Anderson continues to experiment through his shows and to shape his own language within his new home.

Released the day before the show, the collection’s teaser, featuring actor Paul Kircher sprinting through the streets of Paris, hinted at a vibrant, spontaneous collection. That promise was fulfilled. While drawing his inspiration directly from the house’s heritage, Jonathan Anderson weaves in punk references, shaking up the expectations of a seasoned audience.

A tribute collection to Paul Poiret

“Poiret came and changed everything,” Christian Dior once said. After a major retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs dedicated to him last year and a Spring/Summer 2026 show designed by Alphonse Maitrepierre, the long-forgotten couturier Paul Poiret is back in the spotlight.

As Paris celebrated the centenary of Art Deco in 2025 – an anniversary that also resonated on the Spring/Summer 2026 runways – the whimsical designer, who inspired Dior’s earliest collections, finds a renewed and striking echo in Jonathan Anderson’s silhouettes. A glance at a liberated past as an answer to the tense, uncertain present.

A joie de vivre emerges from the very first silhouettes of this Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection through the shimmering sequin tops. It unfolds further in a parade of garments capturing the splendor of Roaring Twenties fashion. Lavish, sultana-like capes with intricate embroidery evoking Paul Poiret’s Orientalist robes, glittering epaulettes, patent loafers with built-in heels, and lush, abundant furs…

A punk twist to Dior’s heritage

Alongside this tribute, Jonathan Anderson brings a punk sensibility to Dior’s codes. A sharp contrast from the preppy silhouettes of last season. Beyond continuing his bold reinterpretations of the Bar jacket, adapted for men with a more radical edge, he also revives the androgynous silhouettes once envisioned by Hedi Slimane for Dior.

From 2001 to 2007, the French designer, who was then artistic director of Dior’s menswear, introduced subversive looks composed of narrow jackets, skinny trousers, and thin scarves. This season, Jonathan Anderson revisits that rock dandy aesthetic and revives the indie sleaze trend that has been stirring up renewed excitement in recent months.

Lastly, punk makes a more overt appearance. Wigs looking like they have been dipped in acid are an unexpected accessory that quickly took off online. Despite its multiple layers of interpretation, Jonathan Anderson is laying a deeply personal groundwork for Dior’s legacy.

All the looks from the Dior Fall/Winter 2026-2027 menswear show

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