Beneath overcast Dior skies and surrounded by a canopy of cyclamens, Jonathan Anderson unveiled his first couture collection for the house, with Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, and Anya Taylor-Joy seated in the front row.
The trio arrived fashionably late, with Lawrence heading straight to her seat as soon as she arrived. While she’s a familiar face at Dior shows, Monica Barbaro was attending her first couture presentation for the brand.
Barbaro has struck up a friendship with Anderson after he designed the costumes for her upcoming film Artificial, in which she stars alongside Andrew Garfield.
Reflecting on the project, Barbaro described the experience as uniquely engaging, noting that the characters portrayed are real people who are still alive and experienced major life-altering events only a few years ago.
Without revealing plot details, she said the costume development process with Anderson was deeply inspiring. The story spans multiple time periods following a “monumental” event, making the evolution of style especially significant.
“It was fascinating to see how quickly things start to feel dated, even over just a few years or a decade,” she explained. “You recognize trends from specific moments, understand where someone is from based on how they dressed at that time, and then see how their style shifts once they become a Silicon Valley person.”
She also praised Anderson’s encyclopedic fashion knowledge. “Jonathan could look at a piece and immediately identify the brand and the year it was made, which is an incredible skill for a costumer. And beyond that, his understanding of form and the body — he’s truly a designer,” she said. “It made the collaboration incredibly compelling.”
Asked about trends from nearly a decade ago—now resurfacing on TikTok—Barbaro laughed when recalling her own 2016 style. “Probably lots of sweatpants and over-plucked eyebrows.”
Dressed in one of Anderson’s debut couture looks for Dior, she’s clearly evolved since then.
Artificial is directed by Luca Guadagnino for Amazon MGM Studios. Also in attendance was Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos, accompanied by his new wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
“I was just thrilled to be invited,” said Parker Posey. “It’s such an exciting day. It feels like a dream.” She shared a hug with White Lotus creator Mike White, with whom she filmed in Thailand last year. “We always end up in the most exciting places together.”
Posey described her Dior trench with pleated pannier hips as giving “very chic detective” energy. The Marie Antoinette-inspired silhouette even prompted her to visit Versailles the day before the show.
She recently wrapped Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, starring alongside Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, which is set to premiere in the spring. The film was shot on Easter Island, an experience she called “magical.”
“You’re completely isolated, but everywhere you look is sky. Everything feels ancient. There are no buildings, the air was incredible,” she said, recounting activities like cave diving and attending Mass with Catholic missionaries. “I fell in love with it. I love remote places.”
Posey added that fashion feels especially energized right now, with numerous designer changes bringing fresh momentum. After navigating the near-dark venue in search of her seat, she quickly left to track down artist Justin Vivian Bond, whom she’d heard was in attendance.
Ruth Wilson appeared with newly dyed deep burgundy-red hair, a change she admitted was for an upcoming role. When asked whether it was for a return to Luther alongside Idris Elba, which ended in 2019, she declined to confirm, only saying that filming begins “very soon.”
Wilson said Anderson’s dramatic sensibility makes him well suited to couture. “He naturally aligns with couture because he’s bold, expressive, and willing to take risks. Bringing that energy to Dior through his design and tailoring will be extraordinary.”
Dan Levy, a longtime friend of Anderson’s, also expressed his admiration. “I’m incredibly proud of him and everything he’s achieved. This moment is such a culmination of his hard work — it’s truly unbelievable.”
Levy recently wrapped Big Mistakes for Netflix, costarring Lori Metcalf. “I’ll tell you the entire plot, every spoiler, and the ending,” he joked. “It’s a comic thriller — we’re really bending genres.”