Dior AW26 men’s

Since the menswear season kicked off in Milan last week, there have been several standout shows occupying our minds. Mrs P and Raf Simons flipped the familiar at Prada, taking everyday garments and subtly subverting our expectations of them, while Dan and Dean Caten took us to the slopes with a fierce ski-inspired collection. On the first day of Paris, Pharrell then brought the streets and office together for Louis Vuitton’s new take on corpcore, while Wales Bonner and Martine Rose both dropped their collections via digital lookbook.

While all those looks still ping through our minds, this afternoon (January 21) also saw the return of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, arguably the most anticipated show on the current calendar. From the invite to the guestlist to all 63 looks, Dazed Fashion was on hand to give you the inside scoop from today’s proceedings, so scroll down for everything that happened at the show.

RUFF AND READY

Dior AW26 men’s invitationPhotography Jean-Marie Binet

The day before the show, editors and VIPs were sent this season’s invite, which came in the form of an ivory neck ruff with a Dior label on the inside of the collar. For his SS26 men’s debut, Anderson sent a bunch of private school kids down the runway, with clothing inspired by preppy English aristocrats, plus institutions like Eton and Oxbridge. The neck ruff is historically a symbol of wealth and status, so all clues suggested that, for AW26, J Dubs was about to bring back his toffs.

BOYS BOYS BOYS

Much like his debut collections, this season Anderson started the show before the catwalk actually began: in the backs of cars with all his famous guests. As they made their way through traffic to show space at Musée Rodin, cameras kept an eye on A-listers like David Jonsson, Archie Madekwe and Joe Alwyn, plus K-pop superstar Mingyu. Also joining them in attendance was current Dazed cover star Yung Lean; actors Robert Pattinson, Jack O’Connell, Louis Garrel and Manu Ríos; Luca Guadagnino, Lewis Hamilton and SZA; plus womenswear ambassador Mia Goth.

WAS THAT A TRIBUTE TO PAM HOGG?

Dior AW26 men’sPhotography WWD via Getty Images

There’s only one person in fashion with hair as bright as the wigs seen on today’s catwalk: the late, great Pam Hogg, known for her signature mustard mop. The Scottish fashion designer died just two months ago, leaving the fashion world with one less legend. Though there was no mention of her in the press release, could it be that Anderson was paying homage to Hogg in today’s show, sending models down the runway donning luminous yellow wigs? They were even styled into shaggy, tousled mullets, just like the late designer’s. Surely that was no coincidence.

A LOVE LETTER TO POIRET

Dior AW26 men’sPhotography Estrop via Getty Images

While the Pam Hogg tribute is up for debate, the show notes make it clear that Anderson was paying tribute to at least one great designer: Paul Poiret, one of fashion’s founding fathers. If Charles Frederick Worth was the first couturier, Poiret wasn’t far behind him, inspiring a multitude of modern designers – particularly John Galliano during his time at Dior. The couturier is credited with removing the corset from society and introducing loose, dropped waistlines that the wearer could more easily dance in (laying the foundations for flappers). He was also known for taking inspiration from North Africa, the Middle East and East Asia, echoed by Galliano in 1998, and again by Anderson earlier today.

ANDERSON’S ARISTO-YOUTH

Dior AW26 men’sPhotography Estrop via Getty Images

Although inspired by Poiret, Anderson’s primary muse was spelt out for us this season: the “Dior aristo-youth”. If you’re wondering exactly what that means, Anderson describes the aristo-youth as having an air of “eclectic opulence” – “joy and spontaneity guide their choices and here they are now, with spiky yellow hair and embroidered epaulettes.” As well as those sparkling shoulders, we saw bold colours – vibrant emerald, purple and orange, all emphasised by the yellow wigs – marking a new, daring direction for J Dubs. We saw the return of the Dior Bar jacket, more parkas and military-style jackets, as well as opera capes and knitted tailcoats. From his debut last June, we knew that Anderson was taking Dior in a preppy direction, but today’s collection gave us a glimpse of the aristo-youth’s nightlife attire too.