Past, present, future. Poised at the intersection of stories and eras, the Dior spring-summer 2025 haute couture collection came to life imbued with notions of transformation and transition. The essence of fashion, intrinsically linked to metamorphosis. Highlighting this common thread, the looks offered a reflection on renewal and, more generally, the metaphysics of time – beyond temporality – that is not always linear. As a fascinating starting point, Maria Grazia Chiuri explored, questioned and reinvented some of the lines that have structured Dior’s identity. For example, the La Cigale silhouette – first designed by Monsieur Dior for his autumn-winter 1952-1953 haute couture presentation – whose original curves were now transposed through a series of revisited and sumptuously embroidered crinolines with enchanting effects of transparency and dégradé. Creations infused with a troubling neo-romanticism paired with corsets that revealed rather than constrained.

Fusing the codes of childhood and adulthood, the Creative Director of women’s collections also drew inspiration from the Trapèze line – the very first by the young Yves Saint Laurent for Dior – and its form-effacing baby-doll dresses. A universe with an irresistibly playful spirit, reinterpreted here through surprising volumes, models richly adorned with bows, gathers and feather-like pleats, as well as ruffles worked with virtuoso draping to make the woman who wears them into a femme-fleur.

Divinely magical, majestic crests dotted with flowers and raffia details gave each outfit a magnetic aura with punk accents. Such meticulously crafted pieces suggest heroines who are both conquering and delicate. Unique characters of hypnotic charm appeared in the heart of an immersive visual landscape punctuated with shimmering colours by the Indian artist Rithika Merchant. At Maria Grazia Chiuri’s invitation, she conceived an infinitely poetic, monumental installation comprising nine paintings, transformed into prodigious textile art by Karishma Swali, the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft. This dreamlike ensemble references multiple literary and mythological sources, thus weaving a narrative between collective heritage and an optimistic future celebrating women’s strength, energy and joy.

An ode to the power of the imagination and to a femininity that is wonderfully pluralistic and fabulously of the moment.