Under rain-kissed Roman skies, Maria Grazia Chiuri transformed Villa Albani Torlonia into a cinematic dreamscape where fashion and costume blurred into “bella confusione” for the Dior Cruise 2026 collection.
As the clouds yawned and rain spilt from their mouths, the grandiose gates of Villa Albani Torlonia—an 18th-century Roman treasure—opened for a hauntingly beautiful show for the Dior Cruise 2026 collection. Guests came with a dress code: women in white and men in black to see Maria Grazia Chiuri’s love letter to the Roman city. Debuting a tapestry of artistic and sartorial imagination, the Dior Cruise 2026 collection marvelled in fairytale-like silhouettes—fluid, precise, dreamy and flouncy pieces that exuded a dreamy presence. Titled “bella confusione”—a beautiful confusion—the collection represented an autobiographical reflection, echoing the title suggested by Ennio Flaiano to Federico Fellini for 8 ½.
Diving into Dior’s archives, the collection itself becomes a metaphor, merging historical elements of costume and fashion with a modern narrative. She even collaborated with Tirelli, a Roman costume atelier founded in 1964. Vests, borrowed from the male wardrobe—sometimes detailed with lapels—are paired with voluminous skirts and tailored tailcoats. Dresses range from delicate lace to designs with sculptural bas-relief textures. Military-style jackets are detailed with black edges and buttons, while some garments evoke the style of ecclesiastical chasubles.
There were even wispy and ghostly romantic gowns in lace and velvet. Visions in white, black, and white glided down the pebbled pathway, while touches of red punctuated the otherwise neutral palette. Even a golden velvet gown became the epitome of refinement. But, above all, the collection showcases the beauty of male and female forms and silhouettes, and how they can merge to create theatrical pieces that still allude to Dior’s contemporary romanticism.
A Roman reverie of such, the Cruise 2026 collection, was a celebration of what Maria Grazia Chiuri holds dear—Rome, fashion, film, theatre, the arts and crafts. In this way, she reimagines the characters, landscapes, myths and stories of her city, Rome—infused with a poetic lens that blends curiosity, reverie, and magical realism. The result is a constellation of creative affinities that define her vision.
