Jonathan Anderson makes his sharp-eyed debut as creative director for the fashion house
E
ven Anna Wintour can only be in one place at a time. And rather than Paris, where Jonathan Anderson made his Dior debut on Friday, the most powerful person in fashion was in Venice for the Bezos/Sánchez wedding shortly after relinquishing her role as editor-in-chief at American Vogue.
And unlike the wedding of the year, Anderson’s show proved to be sweet relief for anyone wanting to flex a cooler, chicer muscle. Perched on wooden cubes within the Cour du Dôme des Invalides sat plenty of VIP clout: Daniel Craig, Donatella Versace and Roger Federer. Most of the Arnault family, who own Dior and routinely joust with Jeff Bezos over who has more money, were present. Even Rihanna, pregnant in a Dior pastel waistcoat, was relatively punctual.
Anderson is known for his sharp eye and crafty, mercurial taste – few people have shaped the red carpet and ultimately the high street into the hype machine it is today. But Dior is a different challenge. As the first creative director of menswear and womenswear since Christian Dior himself, the designer needs to revamp LVMH’s second biggest brand, with estimated revenues far greater than at his former label, Loewe.
