A study of lightness. That’s how Jonathan Anderson summarised his Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear collection for Dior. Clothing that flows with ease but, when looked at up close, hides an infinite array of intricacies.
“Tailleur is imagined as flou, and air is treated almost as if it were a material – an inherent part of lace, silk mousseline or organza,” the collection notes described. It’s the ultimate Anderson way of designing, even though the result this time appeared much slimmer, silhouette-wise, than his previous shows for the maison to date.
Once again, nature holds protagonism. Both through the set design, marked by camphor trees specially sourced and installed for the show, held at the Bassin Octagonal of the Parisian Jardin des Tuileries, and the organic, circle- and flower-inspired forms and structures of dresses, skirts, and hemlines.
Solo, cascading petal-shaped earrings graced a few looks, as did trailing draped scarves placed over the shoulders to emphasise movement, a direct consequence of breezy, summery softness. Still in the theme of flowers, they similarly surfaced via morphed printed pleats, mostly seen on midi-length dresses and skirts, as well as on patterned flower sandals and heels, crafted with petal shapes in mind.
Metallic, five-pocket trousers borrowed from the Men's SS27 collection were featured in golden, silver, and jade green, paired with a flowy, pale blue transparent top, an ultralight cream suit jacket, and a striped, matching button-down completed with a toffee-coloured blazer, respectively.
Iridescent hues and cropped pieces made a comeback from FW26/27, while miniskirts, fitted jackets, and voluminous waists were crucial signifiers of Anderson’s intentional, consistent creative language at the label. Almost a year and seven different Dior by Jonathan Anderson womenswear collections later, matching the clothing with the designer who made them is practically a given.
Layers of lightweight materiality recreated the asymmetry of nature, another major driving force for SS27. Zigzagging long-sleeved, striped blouses styled with fluid, loose skirts exemplified the vision. “Perfect symmetry is elusive,” an excerpt from a pre-show Dior Instagram post stated. Playing with proportions and the archives, a textured coat dress resembled the Bar Jacket, as if elongated and fringed, and circular cutting was done under a more fluid lens.
For contrast, ultrafeminine pieces, such as 3D petal-embellished minis, often teamed with utilitarian suede and rubber-soled slip-ons. Amidst the sea of pastels and nature-driven proposals, a few all-black looks also created a sense of juxtaposition, perhaps a subtle way of paying homage to Mathilde Favier, Dior's international director of public relations, who tragically passed away in a car accident in August.
Playful handbags, another Anderson favourite, returned to the catwalk, amplified by the black, white, silver and gold swan-shaped evening clutch revealed online beforehand to tease what was to come. A silver-finished minaudière, crafted to mimic the Chinese wénwán walnut, nodded to this season’s show invite: a pair of hand-rolling walnuts. Following the tradition, one must hold a pair of wénwán walnuts in the same hand, constantly rotating them around to achieve smoothness over time. The invitation noted that similar pairs of the nuts are famously difficult to find, making them highly valued. Everything is thoroughly connected at Anderson’s Dior; you can’t escape it. It’s in the air.
Words by Ketlyn Araujo
