We've seen pictures of our dear Jonathan Anderson walking along the Seine many times, often with a cigarette in hand, signature messy hair, and that pensive, melancholic aura he often carries. One may think he's enjoying a very brief moment of relaxation in between the hundreds of responsibilities that fall on his shoulders, but nothing could be further from the truth; he never rests, and his mind never ceases working. Referencing the kids he sees on his Seine walks early in the morning, who are messily and happily returning home or maybe going to the next party after a long night of joy and sweat, the new Dior S/S 2027 menswear collection dresses the rave kids in Dior archives and gives them the uniform to keep on dancing.
A Dior collection being born with Fred again.. as a point of reference is definitely an indicator of the year we’re in. Jonathan Anderson, as tuned in with the youth as he has ever been, understands the transcendental power behind a good party. Points of gathering for those who want to enjoy, forget and just exist, raves have always been a synonym of time passing by without us minding it, entering the darkness of the night and going out when it's bright and sunny outside, clothes looking one way when we get dressed and becoming less polished and refined by the time we take them off. This is what Jonathan has probably lived through himself and now sees on his morning walks, noticing as well an increase in the personal style and the care the kids of this generation put into dressing up.
This, and a personal admiration of the work of the DJ and producer we previously mentioned, who has undoubtedly become one of the most influential names in the scene during the past years, inspired Jonathan to create his very own Dior After at Paris Fashion Week in the early morning of the warmest day of the year. Being hungover under the extreme heat, Jonathan gave the audience a 4D experience with no AC to be found and little umbrellas and fans becoming the lifeline of the invitees. A model appears, plugs his iPhone into the sound system, and the show starts. The music is, you guessed it, by Fred again.., because Jonathan knows who to give the aux-privilege to.
From here, we find the familiar codes and silhouettes Anderson has been exploring since his arrival at the French maison, all worked and understood from a more relaxed and nonchalant approach. The fits are much looser, the materials are thinner and more flowy and the proportions and constructions are slightly altered, giving that little “I'm drunk; I don't care if my collar is not where it's supposed to be” kind of vibe. But as expected from Dior, every mishap is handled with extreme care and precision, and as expected from Anderson, what looks like one thing is in reality another. Embroidery served many purposes in the collection; aside from the more evident ornaments, it also helped create the most refined distressed holes in jeans we've seen or rich but casual thin scarves.
The sense of a party that is not over yet translates to the garments with unfinished touches, like the knitwear with all the threads hanging from the hem or raw cuts in various pieces. The bows are not tied, the blazers are worn with nothing underneath, the buttons are not perfectly buttoned up, and parts of pyjamas become the centre of the outfit. The embroidery Jonathan used in this collection was said to be found in the archive as swatches, not as part of fully finished pieces. It all seems to be about things that start, that you never know when they will end. Afters that are better than the party, clothes that look better when they are less perfect, and ideas that you'll never know when they'll materialise.
