Olympic influences appeared throughout the Paris Fashion Week show, as athlete SAGG Napoli put on an archery performance unlike any other.
In some ways it feels like the Olympics haven’t left Paris just yet, as Dior unveiled its Spring-Summer 2025 collection during Paris Fashion Week in a unique way — with competitive archer and artist Sofia Ginevra Gianní, known as SAGG Napoli, shooting arrows into a target at the end of the runway.
The show brought the likes of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Garner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Elizabeth Debicki, Rosamund Pike, Ashley Park, Rosalía and South Korean singer Jisoo to the front row, with France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron sitting beside LVMH’s owners.
As guests waited for the show to start in the light blue room, attendees couldn’t help but notice the arched plexiglass tunnel structure in the middle. “What could that be for?” echoed through the audience. “Why would models walk through a protected clear tunnel?” others whispered. But as SAGG Napoli opened the show by walking through the tunnel with bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows, things became clearer. She started shooting arrows, and the show was off to a start.
Inside the show
Adrien Dirand
Quite simply, this collection is about the strength of women and pushing the boundaries of fashion; the boundaries between the body and who is dressing it, as well as between intentionality and function. To do this, Maria Grazia Chiuri turned to Mr. Christian Dior and his 1951-52 Fall-Winter collection, specifically the Amazone dress.
Looks in the collection are deeply rooted in the Amazone dress and the female form in such a heroic setting; think the 1990s-era 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 shape, so working with Chiuri was a no-brainer.
Chiuri worked closely with Dior Makeup’s creative and image director Peter Philips and “wanted the models to look like they just came from a workout or a heroic battlefield, so I like a formula that’s not too intimidating so you don’t think that it’s just for professionals,” he said to a group of journalists backstage before the start of the show.
“This year, the body, fashion and sport are words that, thanks notably to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, have (re)given signification to gender equality, inclusivity, respect and acceptance of one’s own limits,” explained the house in collection notes. Chiuri also notes how important diversity in sports is and how much strength women bring to the industry.
Mainly a black and white collection, leotard tops in black and crystal match perfectly with black skirts. Off-the-shoulder dresses bring asymmetry into the mix, but it’s the sporty biker bomber jacket ensembles that bring a unique touch. And the red accenting on the bomber jacket offers, as the house calls it, “a counterpoint” in the collection. Evening dresses are lightweight and done in jersey fabric — a touch seen in Milan Fashion Week collections.
As the last models exited the runway, SAGG Napoli began to walk down the runway in the plexiglass tunnel. The room erupted in applause for her archery skills shown during the show, leaving onlookers with a feeling of the accomplishments that women have brought and that can bring, whether that be in fashion, sports or any industry.