Giant cats stalk Dior catwalk

Dior men’s artistic director Kim Jones showed his summer 2025 collection for the LVMH-owned label on a Paris runway decorated with giant cat sculptures on Friday. “These are the cats that spoke to me the most — they meowed to me,” said Jones, describing the quirky ceramic animals created by South African artist Hylton Nel.

Models marched past them in tailored trousers and bermuda-length shorts, sleeveless knits in pale colours and chunky shoes with clog-like toes. Sparkly brooches and embellished coats brightened the muted colour palette and saddle bags came in extra large and extra small sizes.

“An elegant life” was painted on the pedestal of one sculpture — a lounging cat-headed creature with a woman’s body, wearing bright red lipstick and matching high heeled shoes. High end fashion labels face a slowdown in business for clothing and accessories, especially in the all-important Chinese market, where a property crisis and high youth unemployment have curbed shoppers’ appetite to splurge.

Louis Vuitton, another LVMH-owned brand, kicked off Paris men’s fashion week on Tuesday with an outdoor show at UNESCO, which, like the Dior show, drew crowds of fans eager to catch arrivals of celebrities.

The men’s shows, which will be followed by Haute Couture week, take place as France gears up for the summer Olympics. Construction of Olympics venue sites has clogged traffic and pushed some fashion shows to the outskirts of the city centre.