In some ways, it seemed like the Olympics hadn’t left Paris just yet, as Dior presented its Spring-Summer 2025 collection during Paris Fashion Week in a unique way: with archer and artist Sofia Ginevra Gianní, known as SAGG Napoli, shooting arrows at a target at the end of the runway.
The show featured front row appearances by the likes of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Elizabeth Debicki, Rosamund Pike, Ashley Park, Rosalía and South Korean singer Jisoo, with French First Lady Brigitte Macron sitting alongside the owners of LVMH.
As guests waited for the show to begin in the blue room, attendees couldn't help but notice the arched plexiglass tunnel structure in the center. “What could it be for?” echoed among the audience. “Why would models walk through a transparent, protected tunnel?” whispered others. But when SAGG Napoli opened the show by walking through the tunnel with a bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows, things became clearer. He started shooting arrows and the show began.
Inside the show
Adrien Dirand
Simply put, this collection is about the strength of women and the pushing of fashion boundaries; the boundaries between the body and the one who dresses it, as well as between intentionality and function. To do this, Maria Grazia Chiuri turned to Christian Dior and his Fall-Winter 1951-52 collection, specifically the Amazone dress.
The looks in the collection are deeply rooted in the Amazon dress and the female form in such a heroic context; think of the 90s series with Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess OR Wonder Woman vibes, as these iconic female figures are known for their strength, confidence, freedom and femininity. For SAGG Napoli, fashion is another visual tool, an affirmation of her athletic form, so working with Chiuri was an obvious choice.
Chiuri worked closely with Dior Makeup's creative and image director, Peter Philips, and “wanted the models to look like they've just come out of a workout or a heroic battlefield, so I like a formula that's not too intimidating, so you don't think it's just for professionals,” she told a group of reporters backstage before the show began.
“This year, body, fashion and sport are words that, thanks in particular to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, have (re)given meaning to gender equality, inclusiveness, respect and acceptance of one’s limits,” the maison explained in the collection notes. Chiuri also emphasizes how important diversity is in sport and how much strength women bring to the sector.
A collection that is predominantly black and white, with black and crystal bodysuit tops pairing perfectly with black skirts. Off-the-shoulder dresses add asymmetry to the mix, but it’s the sporty ensembles with biker bomber jackets that add a unique touch. And the red accent on the bomber jacket provides, as the house calls it, “a counterpoint” in the collection. Evening dresses are lightweight and made of jersey fabric, a touch seen in the Milan Fashion Week collections.
As the last models exited the runway, SAGG Napoli began walking down the runway in the plexiglass tunnel. The room erupted in applause for her archery skills displayed during the show, leaving viewers with a sense of the successes that women have brought and can bring, be it in fashion, sports or any other industry.