At New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre, performer Justin Vivian Bond stepped onto the stage wearing a century-old Paul Poiret gown from Jonathan Anderson’s personal archive. It was an unusual way to introduce a partnership between one of France’s most celebrated fashion houses and the film studio behind some of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive releases.
Dior and A24 introduced their two-year partnership at New York’s historic Cherry Lane Theatre with Both Ends, a performance by Justin Vivian Bond. The collaboration will explore theater, cinema, and live entertainment, beginning with an event that placed fashion within the storytelling rather than making it the focus of the evening.
For Anderson, the evening was personal. He and Bond first met more than two decades ago at Central Saint Martins, long before he became Dior’s creative director. Their reunion at Cherry Lane brought that history into the spotlight, while the choice of a Paul Poiret gown connected the performance to an earlier chapter of fashion history.
The Fashion History Behind the Opening Performance
The evening’s historical references extended beyond Bond’s century-old gown. Both Ends, produced and directed by Zack Winokur, drew inspiration from poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay, one of the founders of Cherry Lane Theatre.
Millay had worn designs by Paul Poiret, the French couturier whose work helped transform women’s fashion in the early 20th century. Poiret’s designs also informed Anderson’s Dior Winter 2026 collection, making the archival gown especially relevant to the occasion.
Anderson designed additional costumes specifically for Bond’s performance. Together, the pieces brought several creative histories onto one stage: Poiret’s fashion, Millay’s literary legacy, Bond’s cabaret career, and Anderson’s contemporary work at Dior.
The result offered something more personal than a conventional fashion presentation. The clothes belonged to a performance with its own story, rather than serving as the reason for the event.
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Why Cherry Lane Theatre Matters to Dior and A24
Cherry Lane has been part of New York’s theater scene for more than a century. Located in Greenwich Village, the venue has a history closely associated with independent performance and experimental theater.
A24 acquired the theater in 2023 and reopened it in 2025 following renovations. As Cherry Lane marked a year since its reopening under A24, Dior joined the celebrations as the theater’s premier partner.
Cherry Lane allows A24 to bring its creative interests off the screen and into a room where actors and audiences share the same experience. For Dior, the venue offers a setting quite different from the runway, boutique, or red carpet.
The location also matters because of its existing identity. Cherry Lane is a working theater with a history that predates either company’s involvement. Future productions will take place within a theater whose identity was established long before Dior or A24 became part of its story.
Jonathan Anderson’s Creative World Extends Beyond the Runway
Anderson’s involvement gives the collaboration a particularly strong connection to Dior’s current creative direction.
Since taking charge of the house’s women’s, men’s, and haute couture collections in 2025, the designer has drawn on historical fashion and artistic references while developing his interpretation of Dior.
His interest in performance is hardly new. The friendship with Bond began during his student years, when he approached the performer about making pieces for upcoming shows. Bond later appeared at his graduate presentation, establishing a creative relationship that continued long before the Cherry Lane event.
That history helps explain why the opening performance felt appropriate for Anderson. It brought an artist from his early career into a project connected to his current role, while the Poiret gown linked his personal archive with references already present in his Dior collections.
The collaboration also arrived with a playful short film directed by Aidan Zamiri. Sabrina Carpenter, Camille Cottin, Josh O’Connor, Drew Starkey, and Sophie Wilde each portrayed a version of Anderson, alongside the designer himself. The film introduced the partnership through humor and character rather than a traditional product campaign.
What Comes Next for the Dior x A24 Partnership?
The Cherry Lane performance was only the opening event. Dior and A24 have announced plans for a two-year program involving film, theater, live experiences, and artists from different creative disciplines.
The companies intend to work with both established and emerging talent, creating opportunities for artists to present their work and connect with audiences. The plans also include initiatives for students interested in the creative and practical aspects of filmmaking and theater.
Those educational and artistic commitments give the partnership a broader purpose than the opening celebration, although the details of individual future projects have yet to be fully announced.
For A24, the arrangement brings a major fashion house into its expanding work with live performance. Dior, meanwhile, gains an ongoing role in a venue where theater and cinema can meet fashion in ways that are not limited to costume design or celebrity dressing.
A Different Kind of Fashion Collaboration
Fashion and cinema have shared a close relationship for decades, from designers creating costumes for films to actors representing luxury houses on the red carpet. Dior and A24 are building on that relationship through a partnership centered on creative programming.
There is a commercial dimension, of course. For Dior, appearing alongside A24’s theatrical and cinematic projects offers a different kind of visibility from the attention generated by a runway show or advertising campaign. The two companies also bring different resources to the arrangement: Dior’s fashion expertise and international profile, alongside A24’s experience in film production, distribution, and entertainment.
What makes this particular collaboration worth watching is what happens after the opening night.
The announced program leaves room for performances, films, and opportunities for younger artists, but its long-term significance will depend on the work the partners actually produce.
For now, its most memorable image remains Bond on the Cherry Lane stage in a century-old Poiret gown. The dress carried a remarkable history, but it was the performance that brought that history to life.
