The concept was born out of what Chiuri describes as bella confusione, or “beautiful confusion”, inspired by the working title for the 1963 Italian avant-garde film 8½. (All photos: Dior)
On the rainy evening of May 27, Dior’s creative director for womenswear Maria Grazia Chiuri made a splendid homecoming to the city of Rome, where she staged her latest — and final — collection for the French maison. Held by the gates of Villa Albani Torlonia, a privately owned 18th century estate that houses a collection of Greek and Roman antiques, the Cruise 2026 show was a romantic and dramatic tribute to the venue’s history and the label’s tailoring legacy.
The concept was born out of what Chiuri describes as bella confusione, or “beautiful confusion”, inspired by the working title for the 1963 Italian avant-garde film 8½. The designer’s adoration for not only the Eternal City she grew up in, but also the one depicted on the silver screen, continued in the form of a collaboration with costume house Tirelli to reproduce numbers from the likes of Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard and Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence.
These were shown in short films that bookended the show’s livestream, wherein ghostly characters donning the fashions of yesteryear roamed the villa gardens. The monochrome dress code for guests took spirit from the famous Bal Blanc held by Teatro della Cometa, a historic theatre founded by 20th-century aristocrat Mimi Pecci Blunt, which Chiuri and daughter Rachele Regini recently purchased and restored.
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Crafted in a palette dominated by black, white and creams, the collection itself travelled through time, going from flowing silk gowns paired with masculine tailcoats, a nod to the style of the Early Modern era, to shorter frocks in sumptuous velvet as homage to the Fontana sisters.
Guests and viewers online seemed particularly fond of the series of sensual, almost bridal, looks showcasing intricate bucolic motifs, cascading tiers of translucent fabric and shimmering embroidery. Several models walked out with rustic flower crowns adorning their hair, while others donned lacey eye masks similar to the ones seen in Kim Jones’ swansong presentation for Dior Homme in January, hinting at the end of an era to sharp-eyed viewers.
Rumours about Chiuri bowing out had been swirling for months prior, especially after Jonathan Anderson (of Loewe and JW Anderson fame) was announced as the new person at the helm of Dior menswear in April. On June 2, suspicions were finally confirmed by brand CEO Delphine Arnault. Anderson’s first menswear collection is scheduled to debut on June 27, while his inaugural women’s show will be presented in September. He is the first since the house’s eponymous founder to oversee the label entirely.
This article first appeared on June 9, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
