Jonathan Anderson steered Dior toward a reimagined vision of Old Hollywood at Cruise 2027, staging the show at LACMA to tap into the house's cinematic roots. Titled "Wilshire Boulevard," the collection channeled mid-century Los Angeles aesthetics while establishing Anderson's own visual language within the Dior archive.
The designer pulled signature Dior silhouettes into contemporary territory through unexpected collaborations and craft techniques. Shirts created with artist Ed Ruscha merged fashion with visual art. Philip Treacy designed bespoke feather typography headpieces that reworked techniques originally developed for Isabella Blow, anchoring Dior's fashion heritage while pushing into new territory.
Technical details revealed Anderson's attention to luxury craft. Denim jeans received embroidery treatment using fine silver chains, elevating workwear into evening-ready pieces. A new Saddle bag variation featured car paint surfaces and motor key charms, nodding to Los Angeles car culture while modernizing Dior's accessories lineup.
The LACMA venue itself became part of the narrative. By choosing the museum's grounds, Anderson connected Dior's historical ties to Hollywood glamour with contemporary art discourse, positioning the house as culturally relevant beyond traditional luxury circles. This move signals Anderson's strategy since taking the creative lead at Dior: honoring the founder's legacy while building something distinctly his own.
The Cruise collection functions as a testing ground for Anderson's vision. Rather than simply referencing Dior's archives, he deconstructs them through contemporary collaborations and unexpected materials. The integration of art (Ruscha), millinery craft (Treacy), and industrial references (car paint, motor charms) demonstrates a designer comfortable mixing high and low cultural references, a signature approach he developed at JW Anderson before joining the French house.