This afternoon in Paris’s Tuileries Garden, Jonathan Anderson’s Dior Fall/Winter 2026 outdoor runway was sunny, sweaty, and full of VIPs. Ushers in standing collar jackets rushed silver trays stacked with cold bottles of Evian to hot attendees sitting under a plexiglass roof. In the front row, Pharrell sat next to Anna Wintour, fluttering his invitation like a makeshift fan. After reuniting with Love Story castmate Dree Hemingway, Paul Anthony Kelly could be seen bopping to the beats of Frédéric Sanchez’s soundtrack as models walked in jeans embellished with sparkling bunting, fluttering skirts with glittering hems, and lilypad heels that matched the faux waterlilies floating in the fountain under the catwalk. “Les Tuileries has a whole history as a park created to parade—to see and be seen,” makeup artist Peter Philips told Vogue backstage.
Over the centuries since it was built in 1564, people have used the park for casual meetings, “la rencontre,” Philips, who is creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup, says.“It could be something romantic, could be something business, could be something illegal,” he explains with eyebrows raised. “There s a bit of a dangerous twist.” During Sunday’s discussions with Anderson, a twist on la rencontre inspired the beauty look: “It never was part of the briefing, but bizarrely, in the conversation there was something really funny that happened. He’s like, ‘Oh, I just want something fresh, a little bit like a Parisian girl when they have something like a leftover kohl or leftover mascara, like a bit messy on the eye, but very subtle,’” says Philips of Anderson’s direction. Charlotte Gainsbourg, the French-British actor and singer, came up as they conceptualized the beauty with hair artist Guido Palau. “They start talking about maybe the hair is something like a London girl, a bit messy, a bit Kate Moss-y,” says Philips. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is like la rencontre—a Parisian girl and a London girl, mixed into one."
And so today, the creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup is prepping models for this “messy leftover makeup look” steeped into the house s beauty codes, which “capture youth and a little playfulness.” Cute logo-ed Dior Les Patchs Yeux were applied under models’ eyes before he sent them to Palau’s team for low ponytails with side bangs and plenty of wisps. “Jonathan wanted to reference a sort of ease, but have a little style,” Palau explains. His team of hairstylists around us can be seen trimming extensions for the piecey flyaways pushed in front of the ears. “Everything s soft. It s like a cool French girl.” Palau’s low ponies were all over Vogue’s Milan Trend Report, too, and he says, “this isn’t the end of the ponytail,” and soon we’ll see even more. “You can make them glamorous, rough, you can give attitude.” For Anderson’s Dior, though, “this is a French girl to me,” says Palau. “You never feel that anything s too worked.”
Nail artist Ama Quashie recreated her clean manicure that inspired Anderson to request “just a buff” last season. Again, it was achieved with a sheer coat of Dior Base Vernis and Dior Nail Glow. Philips kept things just as chill. “No blush, no contour, no color on the face,” he said, simply brushing on his new skincare-infused Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation. “It s a different kind of glow.” On the eyes, the look was slept-in. After applying Diorshow On Stage Crayon in 099 Black to models’ top waterline, “I ask them to look down, and I say, okay now squeeze,” he says, squinting eyes closed. It’s a trick that transfers color without too much fuss. “It has to stay light and natural,” he simply curls bare lashes and shapes natural arches with Diorshow On Set Brow and Brow Styler.
As a final touch, “I use the Lip Maximizer in 001 Pink to hydrate and give a peppery, tickly, plumping sensation,” Philips says. “Because JW doesn t like a shiny lip or anything,” so it’s better to remove any glossy texture rather than guild the lily. It meant Philips was working right up to the moment models stepped onto the runway: “Just before they go on, I ll tap it down so the shine is gone.”
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