Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is set to present his first menswear collection for Dior on 27 June, and he's just given fashion fans a hint at what his vision at the storied French fashion house might look like.
Anderson was first announced as the head of menswear in April, and later replaced Maria Grazia Chiuri as the head of womenswear in early June.
His workload has already made headlines, with responsibility over ready-to-wear and haute couture collections, for both men and women, as well as pre-collections and an annual destination cruise show. On top of this, Anderson will also continue his work on his eponymous label, JW Anderson.
With this in mind, fashion fans have been waiting with bated breath for the first hint of what his designs will look like. Over the weekend, Anderson offered a sneak peek at his inspirations for the upcoming show as well as a revamp of a much-loved accessory.
Anderson has reimagined the iconic Dior Book Tote, taking inspiration from famous works of literature. One tote features an homage to the original cover of Bram Stoker's Dracula, the Irish Gothic classic, with a bright yellow background and striking red text.
Another pale pink design references Choderlos de Laclos' 18th century classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which tells the story of two amoral French nobles who delight in manipulating people for their own enjoyment.
The final reinterpretation of the Book Tote honoured Christian Dior himself, featuring Dior on Dior, a memoir the designer wrote about his development of the fashion house.
Anderson also shared images from his mood board for the upcoming collection, including portraits taken of socialite Lee Radziwill and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, both taken by Andy Warhol.
"As I started out on this journey, I kept returning to these photographs of Basquiat and Radziwill who are both, for me, the epitome of style", Anderson said.
