There was mystery from the very first look in the Dior Men Winter 2025 runway show. Dressed entirely in black—turtleneck worn with trousers constructed with draped precision—the model appeared to be blindfolded with a satin bow to the side. The bow turned out to be a recurring element throughout the collection, a nod to the haute couture icon of Dior. While the couture bow blindfolds were instant style standouts (including one branded with “DIOR”), bows were also employed to adorn the backs of coats, fasten detachable sleeves, and cover toe caps of a range of footwear.
“Mr Dior’s Ligne H was in our heads even before going into the archive this season,” says Kim Jones in the collection’s notes. “It has elements that are graphic and angular, which felt eminently transferable into the men’s world. We believed it was time to focus on Mr Dior again. We wanted to go back to the roots and concentrate on the quintessence of the House. There is a sense of fashion history, particularly the history of menswear, running through this collection. The shift from something quite ornate and extravagant in the 18th century to something more linear and utilitarian in the 19th, with the beginnings of modern menswear. Yet, while a lot refers to the history of fashion, this is not historical fashion. Ultimately, in this collection, we wanted to say something about now.”
To those of us who have been following Jones’ work at Dior, “now” can also be considered as the culmination of his time at the House. From his very first Dior Men collection, Jones has not only meticulously pored through the House’s archives and heritage for references, he has also reiterated a sense of elegance that is closely associated to Dior as a fashion house. The Dior Men Winter 2025 collection takes it up a notch by embodying the Casanova theme but interpreted as the duality of a “ladies’ man”. Feminine nuances derived from women’s haute couture have either been masculinised or, like that of the aforementioned first look, adapted and styled with more masculine ready-to-wear pieces.
Elegance comes in many forms throughout the collection. Voluminous constructions (once more, inspired by women’s haute couture) are juxtaposed with streamlined pieces as a way of introducing drama while exuding a touch of the excesses of 18th-century fashion. Robes and opera coats, for example, are belted to further emphasise their decadent use of materials. Silks and satins are used for their noble finish and luxurious sheen, especially on the collection’s more pared back silhouettes. Embroidery taken from the Dior Spring/Summer 1948 haute couture collection is recreated on the collection’s closing look—an impressive pink kimono coat with matching mask—and informs the embellishments seen in the rest of the pieces. A sterling silver chatelaine borrows motifs from the archival embroidery, while collar inserts on shirting feature embroidered trims.
The Dior Men Winter 2025 show may have started with a mysterious dramatic flair, but the next day at the collection’s resee, there was a palpable excitement as editors and clients fawned over the looks up close. Jones, intentionally or not, managed to tap into what we all want in menswear: unrestrained elegance brought about by simply beautiful fashion. And it’s something that he has continuously brought forth at Dior Men; but with this collection, even more so.
