Anderson blurs gender lines in Dior’s new men’s collection

Sequined tops with deep V necklines, Bar jackets, brocades and velvets, coats with fur muffs, and skinny trousers.

A whole world of different influences—only seemingly contrasting—comes together in the second men’s collection designed by Jonathan Anderson for Dior, CE Report quotes ANSA.

It is a collection that has sparked intense debate, especially online.

But let’s start from the beginning: yesterday afternoon in Paris, at the Musée Rodin, Anderson presented his second men’s collection for Dior. The Irish designer is currently leading the maison overseen by Delphine Arnault (eldest daughter of Bernard Arnault, owner of the LVMH group, to which Dior belongs). Anderson is the first designer in the history of the French fashion house to oversee all collections—men’s, women’s, and couture—since the time of Monsieur Dior.

Ahead of presenting his haute couture collection, Anderson chose to play with ideas and influences that appear contradictory, showing instead how they can make sense when brought together. He clearly explained the concept behind the autumn/winter 2026–27 collection: getting dressed is a game of unrestrained associations.

Where does this idea come from? It began with a walk Anderson took in Paris toward Dior’s atelier at 30 Avenue Montaigne, the historic headquarters of the maison. There, he noticed a small commemorative plaque embedded in a wall bearing the name of Paul Poiret—the French couturier who freed women from corsets and was one of the leading figures of Orientalism that swept through Parisian fashion in the early 20th century.

Famous for his fluid shapes and references to North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia, Poiret worked just steps away from Dior’s headquarters. From this came Anderson’s idea of young flâneurs, who walk the runway with cropped blond hair and bright yellow punk wigs (hair styling by Guido Palau).

And their looks? The designer mixes formal wardrobe pieces with Poiret-inspired garments such as brocade capes or shiny satin trousers with floral prints, alongside denim, parkas, coats with fur muffs, sequined tops in bold colors like purple or green, and polo shirts with crystal-embroidered shoulder details.

Anderson reinterprets the iconic Bar jacket in a cropped version, while also presenting the Napoleon jacket (with braided toggles and rope embroidery) and field jackets with shearling inserts, paired with skinny trousers. There are also cropped blazers, tailcoats, and shirts with lavallière collars.

The boundary between masculine and feminine is deliberately blurred, including in the mix of materials such as tweed, velvet, jacquard with shimmering embroidery, dense fringes, and decorative trims.

The standout detail? Removable pleated collars tied at the neck over shirts—already hugely popular on social media, including among female audiences.

Meanwhile, the show itself was a parade of stars, including Robert Pattinson, Lewis Hamilton, Louis Garrel, Jamie Dornan, and Luca Guadagnino.