A series of images and clips featuring the football star begin to define Jonathan Anderson’s Dior narrative ahead of the collection’s unveiling
Jonathan Anderson offers the first glimpse of his highly anticipated Dior debut through two short teaser videos featuring Kylian Mbappé, a global football star and the brand’s ambassador since 2021. The clips shared via Instagram signal a shift for Anderson and strategically place the celebrated athlete at the forefront of Dior’s new era.
The announcement comes swiftly after Louis Vuitton, another LVMH-owned brand, revealed its partnership to dress Real Madrid players for travel and events—the very team Mbappé represents. This confluence of high fashion and elite sport continues to emphasize the growth of luxury houses tapping into the global influence of athletic figures.
Mbappé styles a red-and-blue striped tie over a crisp blue-striped shirt and gray herringbone suit jacket in one clip, then transitions to classic black-tie attire with a loosely knotted bow tie in another, all set to Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony.” In an Instagram caption accompanying the videos, Anderson articulated his choice: “Kylian Mbappé is the voice of a generation and an inspiration to many people in the world of sport and beyond. These films show the charm and charisma that make him the perfect ambassador for this House.”
The visual language of the teasers themselves subtly reflect and position Anderson’s artistic sensibilities, drawing parallels to his earlier Instagram posts featuring Andy Warhol polaroids of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Lee Radziwill. The shared elements of coloring, framing, and intimate photography suggest a deliberate aesthetic connection, hinting at an exploration of contemporary icons and their cultural resonance within the Dior narrative. What is seen is a calculated prelude to the collection itself, actively building the brand’s identity and narrative before a single garment is publicly unveiled.
Anderson’s debut collection for Dior Men’s is set to unveil on Friday, June 27th, during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. The strategic use of Mbappé as a central figure, combined with the previous visual previews, signals tapping into a deliberate yet fresh and informed perspective for Dior menswear. This pre-collection rollout, centered around curated imagery and a compelling ambassador choice, showcases Anderson’s framework of authorship, where the creative vision extends beyond the clothes themselves to encompass the anticipation and perception of the brand. Eyes will be observing closely to see how this initial messaging translates onto the runway and shapes Dior’s future direction.
