The New Romantics Arrive at Dior Couture

Just days after delivering a menswear show that rejected the idea of normal entirely, complete with flashes of yellow wigs and windswept hair, Jonathan Anderson is already back on the runway. This time, the Irish designer unveiled his first haute couture collection for Dior since stepping into the role of creative director in 2025, and the beauty story felt as considered as the clothes themselves.

Backstage, the mood was relaxed yet buzzing. Models sipped espresso and nibbled on cucumber tea sandwiches and crêpes while hair and makeup teams worked around them. Hairstylist Guido Palau, seated with casting director Ashley Brokaw, described Anderson’s vision as firmly rooted in the future. The goal, he explained, was to keep the beauty modern while imagining where Dior is headed next. That vision was developed closely alongside Peter Philips, Dior’s creative and image director of makeup.

According to Philips, the collection called for something youthful and luminous. Skin was perfected using the Dior Forever Skin range, followed by a wash of color from the Rosy Glow Stick in Pink Lilac. A soft luminizer, carefully matched to each model’s undertone, was swept across cheekbones and eyelids to bring light to the face. The effect was subtle and alive, glowing without tipping into anything overly shiny.

Hair took on a poetic quality, with several distinct looks inspired by both the collection and a personal gesture. Palau drew from the cyclamen flower, a vivid bloom once gifted to Anderson by former Dior creative director John Galliano. That influence showed up in the veils, which were hand dyed in delicate shades of pink and violet. Worn flat on the crown and draping forward across the face, they resembled elongated, intentional fringes.

Floral hair elements also played a key role, though not in any traditional sense. Rather than mimicking buns or earrings, the flowers sat boldly at the sides of the face. Palau likened them to oversized headphones, a romantic symbol reimagined through a contemporary lens. Another hair look offered contrast, with sleek, straight lengths brushed back and cascading down the spine like flowing water.

Just before the models stepped onto the runway, Philips added one final, surprisingly simple finishing touch. After applying Dior Lip Glow Oil, which adapts to each wearer’s natural lip tone, he lightly blotted the lips with a tissue. The result was a soft sheen, barely glossy, catching the light without overpowering the look.

Taken together, the beauty at Dior Couture felt romantic without nostalgia and fresh without excess. If this is any indication of where Anderson is taking the house, the future of Dior looks luminous, modern, and very much alive.