For the Dior Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2026-2027 collection, Jonathan Anderson opens a refined dialogue between fashion, art and materiality. At the heart of the creative narrative is the work of Lynda Benglis, the American sculptor celebrated for her ability to transform surfaces and materials into three-dimensional, almost organic forms.
Anderson draws from this powerful connection: just as Benglis works through knots, folds, moulding and physical manipulation, haute couture also transforms fabric into volume, movement and sculptural presence. The atelier becomes a true laboratory, a place where craftsmanship turns into research and gesture becomes form. Hand-pleating, draping and knotting emerge as central elements in the construction of the garments.
The collection explores precious and unexpected surfaces: metallic fabrics, iridescent effects, paper-like textures, intricate embellishments and soft silver mesh that evokes the illusion of wire. Each look seems to question the boundary between garment and sculpture, between body and material.
Another key chapter of the collection is inspired by Lynda Benglis’s long-standing relationship with Ahmedabad, in Gujarat, India. Her Peacock series, begun in the late 1970s, inspires vivid floral ornaments enriched with beads and precious details. This research also leads Anderson to explore the tradition of 18th-century Indian chintz: ancient textile fragments, hand-painted or block-printed, appear on iconic Dior accessories including the Petit Dîner bag and the mini Lady Dior.
Landscape also becomes a creative material. Ahmedabad, with its visual richness, is placed in dialogue with Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Benglis lives and works. These two contrasting worlds — one abundant and vibrant, the other arid and crystalline — are reflected in the collection’s floral motifs and chromatic language.
The accessories continue this narrative. Bags are embellished with mother-of-pearl, passementerie, shimmering leathers and details inspired by the artist’s universe. Four models were created in collaboration with Lynda Benglis: a metallic pleated Dior Cigale, a sculptural Dior Bow, a new Lady Dior and a Petit Dîner adorned with a knot inspired by Benglis’s world.
The shoes echo the textures and materials of the artist’s work through reflections, shine and layered mesh effects. Satin pumps in contrasting colours feature elongated square toes, while other styles are embroidered with irregular sequins, micro-sequins, beads and airy floral decorations. The jewellery, crafted by artisans in France and India, combines mother-of-pearl, rock crystal, onyx, hematite, carnelian and richly coloured micromosaics inspired by rare antique Indian textiles.
Completing the project, from July 7 to 12, the gardens of the Musée Rodin host Grammaire des Formes, an exhibition presented on the show set. It brings together pieces from the new Haute Couture collection, creations from the Dior archives and works by Lynda Benglis, some of which are being shown in France for the first time.
