Dior revives the privilege of courtly dress at the Tuileries

Presented in the Tuileries Garden on the second day of Paris Fashion Week, the Christian Dior autumn/winter 2026 show was Jonathan Anderson's second womenswear collection for the LVMH group's flagship house. Behind the voluminous Bar jackets, an iconic piece for the label, and cascading ruffles, the brand revealed a clear intention: to celebrate the exclusivity of “Social Rank”.

“A dress suited to their social rank”

“In 1667, the Tuileries was opened to the public with a strict dress code, requiring visitors to wear decent attire – an outfit suited to their social rank,” state the show notes for the Christian Dior FW26 womenswear collection. “Social rank” and “decent attire” refer to an art of elegance already explored by the brand during Anderson's first show through an aristocratic spirit.

The show opened with a bare-legged silhouette, drawing attention to the upper body. A small, pearl-grey jacket rested on a short skirt with explosive volume. More understated dresses followed, echoing the nonchalance of chic dressing gowns. Draping held by bows gave a stylish flair to a few coat dresses. Rare denim trousers brought the sartorial narrative back down to earth. Overall, the collection seemed aimed more at the court of King Louis XIV, mentioned in the press release, than at mere mortals.

Brocade, feathers, rhinestones and rich volumes recalled the bold approach upon which the house of Dior was built. In 1947, as France was just emerging from the Second World War and rationing was still in effect, Christian Dior introduced his “femme-fleur” or “flower-woman” concept. It featured a wasp waist; soft shoulders; and immense skirts requiring several metres of fabric. This was a stark contrast to the austere uniform worn by most women at the time.

Through this show, the house of Dior declared its intention to offer its clientele a “bubble of beauty”, far from the current events marked by the wars in Ukraine and Iran. As the show notes indicated, “the show space is an imitation of a park, within a park”. This was a way of emphasising the idea of a private space, protected by walls and reserved for an elite.