For Dior Day, guests returned to the brand’s regular venue of École Militaire, where the house had built a giant box in front of the Eiffel Tower. As fans waited outside to catch a glimpse of the star-studded guest list, the likes of Robert Pattinson, Kate Moss, Gwendoline Christie, Kieran Culkin, Joe Alwyn and Korean actors Han So-hee and Nam Joo-hyuk entered the showspace.

A far cry from SS25’s giant cat sculptures and pastel setting inspired by Hylton Nel, this season saw two sets of pristine white stairs stand at the centre of the show space, one that models descended as they first emerged, and another that led back down into the basement where they disappeared after their turn of the runway. Turning to the house’s storied archive, Jones was inspired by the Ligne H silhouette conceived by Christian Dior for Fall/Winter 1954-1955, presenting a celebration of men’s couture for the modern day. “Mr Dior’s Ligne H was in our heads even before going into the archive this season. 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,” said the designer.

Opening with a series of voluminous opera coats cinched at the waist and floor-sweeping skirts that were actually coats reworked to create the illusion of a billowing silhouette, semi-opaque ribbons were wrapped around models’ heads to mimic that of a blindfold. Hints of couture were felt in Jones’ immaculate tailoring with structured suiting taking centre stage alongside ethereal shirts crafted from silk and satin. Bows were a recurring motif throughout, appearing on the shoulders of outerwear and tied in a satin toe cap on polished leather boots and classic dress shoes. The closing look delved even deeper into Monsieur Dior’s archive, taking the embroidery from the Maison’s SS 1948 haute couture pondichéry look and transforming it into a shimmering baby pink robe.

After the show, Jones was awarded the insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur – France’s highest civilian decoration – during an intimate ceremony. Presented by Anna Wintour, the prestigious decoration further solidifies the designer’s remarkable work at the prestigious Maison, honouring its heritage while building a clear vision for the future.