Dior continues its takeover of the Jardin des Tuileries with a warped, Monet-inspired history lesson from Jonathan Anderson.
Jonathan Anderson built an immersive park right inside the Jardin des Tuileries for his latest Dior show. The space operated as a surreal mirror of the actual grounds. Attendees passed faux water lilies resting on Le Bassin Octogonal. Winter flowers bloomed on command against the chill, setting a fantastical stage for the garments.
Those garments pulled heavily from the era of Louis XIV. During the seventeenth century, the Sun King enforced a strict social uniform known as habit décent for anyone walking the Tuileries. Anderson ripped apart those historic rules. He chopped up formal frock coats and reshaped peplum jackets. These reworked shapes hit the runway in Chantilly lace and metallic jacquards.
Such metallic finishes soon gave way to a softer, Impressionist blur of color. The designer brought a heavy Monet-inspired slant to the collection, turning standard pieces into shimmering standouts. He pushed an iridescent glaze across the materials to mimic light refracting through water. This wet sheen coated basic items like embroidered jeans and glittering gray suits. Track pants even appeared with heavy, fanciful patterns.
Those heavy patterns soon turned the eye to highly structural skirts. Anderson opened the lineup with a puffy miniskirt sporting a long train that mimicked a jellyfish. He styled the piece with a sparkly, nubby cardigan. Dotted Swiss ruffle skirts followed, offering a youthful take on Christian Dior’s iconic Junon gown.
That iconic gown energy translated directly into a series of literal floral pieces. Anderson attached physical blossoms to dresses and floated feathers across coats. The accessories hit just as hard, featuring peanut-shaped clutches and lily pad earrings. Models gripped top-handled Lady Diors and miniature bow totes. They stomped past the stone statues wearing polka-dotted pumps and green heels finished with water lily motifs.
