While the show notes may have read “Autumn-Winter 2025-2026,” for its latest ready-to-wear collection presented at Paris Fashion Week, Dior went back in time. Taking inspiration from Orlando — Virginia Woolf’s novel about a character who turns from a man to a woman and lives over the course of three centuries — women’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest offerings took cues from Elizabethan and Victorian eras, while also revisiting the heritage house’s own historical past.
Designed as a multi-act performance, the show featured five individual vignettes of looks — whose scene changes were made obvious by props that ranged from a swing and a “prehistoric bird” flying above the audience to craters descending from the sky and icebergs rising from the floors. (The soundtrack was equally wide-ranging, with models going from walking to moody instrumental music to “Room of Fools” by FKA Twigs.)
As expected from the literary source of inspiration, the collection explored the balance between the masculine and feminine with delicate ruffles and bustiers punctuating severe waistcoats, frilly collars peeking out from underneath leather jackets, and lace-up riding boots styled with lace bloomers.
But while there were plenty of literal references to the eras the novel was set in — notably, removable statement collars, pantaloons (don’t let go of those capri pants yet!), and shirting with decorative cuff and neck detailing — the collection was reimagined through a timeless lens. There were wearable trench coats, moto leather jackets, technical jackets, and shaggy outwear that were, rounded out by the type of red carpet-worthy dresses that the house is known for. (And beloved by Dior ambassadors like Natalie Portman who was in attendance).
Fitting of a time-shifting novel, for the fall 2025 collection, Grazia Chiuri flash-forwarded from exploring fashion of centuries past to those of more recent decades, “want[ing] to revisit the memories and gestures that belong to Dior’s heritage,” according to the press release. This resulted in exaggerated shapes that played homage to Gianfranco Ferré, Dior’s designer in the ‘90s, and lace-adorned “J’Adore Dior” T-shirts made famous by John Galliano in the ‘00s.
Ahead, the standout looks from the Dior Fall 2025 collections.
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