Dior is so back, and we have Jonathan Anderson to thank for it. Appointed as the new Creative Director in April 2025, Anderson made his highly anticipated debut with a collection unveiled in Paris on June 27th.

The brand teased Anderson’s debut ahead of the show with a sneak peek on social media: an iPhone-shot video of the Real Madrid soccer star Kylian Mbappé tying a Dior men’s striped tie .

“I love a blank sheet each time,” Jonathan Anderson told Vogue in a 2023 interview, and that sentiment set the tone for his Dior debut. The invitation itself, a simple image of an egg on a plate, hinted at rebirth and newness, a quiet metaphor echoed throughout the collection. While this first showing was more restrained than Anderson’s often-kitschy tenure at Loewe, it still carried his signature whimsy, like something lifted from a storybook, but with Dior’s refined polish.

Anderson paid homage to the house’s storied legacy while gently pushing it forward. He played with patterns, prints, and delicate floral embroidery on suiting, and introduced charming 18th-century-inspired ribbon ties: fluffy, romantic, and, frankly a personal favorite.

And though it’s only been two days since the show, Jonathan Anderson’s debut collection is already sparking conversation. On TikTok, creator Connor Chase shared his thoughts while scrolling through the runway looks, focusing not just on the clothes themselves but the emotions they evoked: “I think it feels very fun and exciting. I love capes, I think capes are the coolest, most exciting thing you could wear right now. It feels so medieval.”

Chase emphasized standout pieces like the pleated coats, dramatic capes, and the unexpected pops of color on the shoes. “All of it just feels very whimsical and fun,” he added, “yet the styling looks really put-together.

Another creator, Elliot Duprey, offered his own take: “The collection is rebellious schoolboy meets Bram Stoker’s Dracula in the downtown of a major city in 2026.” That gothic flair, the "Draculaness," as Duprey puts it, surfaced in Anderson’s use of trench and tweed coats, flowing scarves, capes, and the layered vest-and-collar combinations.

Still, not everything hit the mark for Duprey. “There were some misses,” he admitted. “I can’t get behind these looks. There’s this really cool Napoleonic-style coat, but paired with trousers and shoes .. And personally, I just hate these tie knots so much.” Even with his critiques, Duprey remains intrigued: “But, at the end of the day, it felt like a Jonathan Anderson Collection. And I am truly looking forward to what he has to bring in the upcoming year."

On X, popular content creator and fashion theorist Rian Phin weighed in: “Dior Men’s is a sexy escape into manifesting and negotiating identity instead of constructing one for the internet.” They continued, “I talked about Jonathan Anderson at Loewe balancing complete fantasy—dressing for realities that don’t yet exist—versus dressing to manifest a sexier, practical job or life. Love seeing that carry over to Dior. Yessssssss.”

But as always, the truest pulse of public opinion lives in the Instagram comments, where users are at their boldest and most brutally honest. Beneath Dior’s official post, one unimpressed user wrote, “Sorry, this is not Dior. This is Uniqlo x JW Anderson.” In contrast, another comment, officially liked and replied to by Dior’s account, praised the collection: “Old Dior but a hint of JW modern. Perfection.”

Then there are those defending Anderson’s vision. “People screaming this isn’t Dior while there are literal visuals in this post showing two iconic women’s silhouettes brought into the men’s line!” one commenter noted. “If you don’t understand JW’s vision, grab a good Irish cup of tea and wait. The lad likes to walk, not run.”

Love it or hate it, one thing is clear: people are talking. And for a debut under a new creative lead, sustained conversation is often the first indicator that sales, and cultural resonance, will follow.