Dior’s New Creative Director Jonathan Anderson Takes Inspiration from Fashion House’s History

By Ayaka Kaji / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:00 JST, December 25, 2025

Jonathan Anderson is one of the most talked-about fashion designers in the world right now. The 41-year-old became the creative director for French fashion house Dior and presented his first new collection for Spring/Summer 2026 in Paris this autumn.

The French brand was founded in 1946 by Christian Dior and revolutionized the post-World War II fashion world by creating silhouettes that enhance a women’s beauty, such as the H-line and A-line. Historic designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano succeeded Dior.

Following are excerpts from an interview conducted via email with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

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The Yomiuri Shimbun: Could you tell us about the womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 collection?

Jonathan Anderson: For this collection, I wanted to pay homage to the long history of the Maison, like storing all of it in a box, taking elements from it’s incredible history and rewiring them in an empathetic way.

The ultimate message behind this collection is an empathy with history and a dialogue with this overloaded moment in fashion. Dressing to become a character on the stage that is life, allowing clothing to redesign both poise and the appearance of the body.

Yomiuri: You’ve succeeded in making such casual materials as jersey and denim look incredibly elegant. What kind of challenges and difficulties did you face?

Anderson: I wanted to unite the two universes of men’s and women’s [collections] together, something that never happened before. So, both collections share similarities yet at the core are completely different when it comes to techniques. We have a lot of expertise in our ateliers, the best in the business. So I’ve been learning about who does what, and how far we can go.

Yomiuri: You were appointed creative director in charge of both men’s and women’s for the first time in the brand’s history. How do you feel about that?

Anderson: I am incredibly honored to be given the opportunity to unite Dior’s collections under one vision. My instinct is to be led by the House’s empathetic spirit, established by Mr. Dior himself.

The House has always been known for its silhouette statements but has also defined a powerful feminine character: one ready to front the theater of life delving into grandness, beauty and even camp.

I am taking not only shapes, but also materials like lace, or ways of doing things like twisted pleats from the Tourbillon dress from 1956 or Zerline from 1957.

Yomiuri: You propose fashion for people from every walk of life, whether Dior, JW Anderson or Uniqlo. Could you tell me the reason?

Anderson: I think in a creative sense, all three places are completely different and they all speak to very different people. My work at JW Anderson has now morphed into more of a curated selection of pieces that I love and collaborations with brands that I love. For Dior, I wanted to offset a sense of historical grandeur with a study on normality. My job is to render all of these universes comprehensible and I’m ready for the challenge.

Yomiuri: Wars are being fought globally. Inflation is wreaking havoc. I feel a sense of stagnation in the world. What is the significance of major brands announcing new products at Paris Fashion Week now?

Anderson: I think couture can be something that, in the period we’re in right now, has never been more important because it’s about ideas and how we can push fashion forward. You can see that there is a desire and curiosity in the idea of making clothing, all radical ideas.

Yomiuri: Japan is known for high-quality denim and high-density fabrics. Would you like to use them?

Anderson: I love Japan, its history with craft and textile is second to none. I have spent a lot of time there learning about different techniques, and indeed we were able to weave Japanese fabric into the collection.

Yomiuri: What do you want to achieve at Dior?

Anderson: Looking forward, each collection will show a different aspect of the brand, some will contradict it, some will go along with it, and some will be completely radical.

If you look at all the designers who have contributed immensely to this House over the years, each time someone comes in, they have taken on another chapter of Dior. There is a lot to look at, a lot to take in, and we can surprise people.

©DAVID SIMS

Jonathan Anderson

Born in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, in 1984, Anderson graduated from the London College of Fashion. He launched JW Anderson in 2008 and served as creative director for the Spanish brand Loewe from 2013 to 2025. Since 2017, he has been collaborating with Uniqlo. At Dior, he oversees menswear, womenswear and haute couture.