Less than two weeks ago, on Paris’ hottest day in recorded history, Jonathan Anderson showed his Dior men’s SS27 collection. Due to scorching temperatures, it was moved to the earlier start time of 9am, meaning guests received a thumping wake-up call from Fred Again, who curated the soundtrack. Today (July 6), the Northern Irish designer delivered his sophomore Dior haute couture show – and the soundtrack couldn’t have been further from Fred Again’s high-BPM club mix. 

Ambient rainforest sounds and meditative music doubled up as a sound bath, lulling attendees into fashion hypnosis. Inside the impressive rectangular space – erected in a corner of the Tuileries – tree ferns covered the runway, like a Dior reimagining of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. 

Anderson’s starting point this season was the work of pioneering American artist, Lynda Benglis, known for her “poured” or “fallen” paintings, and for redefining sculpture during the late 1960s. “What I love about Lynda is that there is something which has a spontaneous joy, but at the same time, it’s muscular,” explained Anderson. From metallic, sculptural clutch bags, to multicoloured oil slick patterns, Benglis’ influence was carried throughout the collection. Below, we take a closer look at what you might have missed – here’s Dior couture AW26 in numbers. 

12 DAYS

Since Jonathan Anderson’s last Dior show: menswear SS27. He’s not beating those allegations of being fashion’s busiest man anytime soon.

360 MILLION 

The number of years that tree ferns have existed on earth. They’re one of the planet’s oldest plants, dating back long before the dinosaurs. In 2015, Lynda Benglis revealed a new sculptural work, Tree Fern, developed from handmade paper and chicken-wire. Along with Benglis’ paintings and pleated metal knots, the artwork served as inspiration for today’s show, while actual tree ferns lined the runway. 

7 SCULPTURAL BONNETS

The show’s opening look was crowned by a pleated gold bonnet and subtle birdcage veil that covered the eyes. The same styles were dotted throughout the collection seven times, some appearing in dark silver – like corrugated iron – and others like delicate gold leaf that could blow off at any moment. Again, you only need to glance at Bengis’ work to get the reference. 

2 DIOR BRIDES

As is typical of haute couture shows, the collection’s closing look was a wedding dress, decorated with delicate lace ferns. It may have been the only bridal look in the show, but it’s the second Anderson wedding dress of the week. This weekend, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce finally tied the knot, with Swift turning to Anderson to create a custom gown for the occasion. We’re yet to see any pics, but there’s something undeniably Folklore about those fern details. 

1 ARMADILLO 

Alexander McQueen might have already done the armadillo boots, but now Jonathan Anderson has created the armadillo bag. Potentially inspired by Benglis’ 1990 steel sculpture, Scarab, the clutch bag is a cute take on the artwork. If it becomes anywhere near as popular as the JW Anderson pigeon clutch, then we’re about to see this little armadillo everywhere.