Dior partners with A24 for two years in the boldest brand move of the season
When a Parisian couture house decides to plant its flag in the American independent film ecosystem, the result goes far beyond a straightforward commercial deal. Dior and A24 announced, on Thursday 10 September, a creative partnership spanning two years and covering film, theatre and live events. An alliance that redefines how a fashion house can embed itself in contemporary culture.
A viral video sets the tone for the partnership
It all starts with a simple, effective image. On Wednesday 9 September, the Instagram accounts of Dior and A24 simultaneously post a video titled In Training. In it, Sabrina Carpenter walks on a treadmill, dressed in raw denim, a lumberjack shirt and flat shoes. The camera then pulls back to reveal Jonathan Anderson beside her, on a second treadmill, wearing exactly the same outfit, the very uniform the creative director has made his signature for years.
The message is crystal clear: the actress is literally walking in the Irish designer’s footsteps, to the point of becoming his double. This short-form clip, which quickly went viral, serves as a teaser for the official announcement the following day. That is the real power of A24: turning a partnership reveal into a full-blown cultural moment.
And this is far from the studio’s first rodeo. Earlier in the year, a campaign around the film Marty Supreme had propelled Timothée Chalamet, dressed head to toe in orange, into the spotlight via a Zoom call that went viral. For The Drama, A24 pushed the concept even further by placing fake engagement announcements between Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in the pages of the real Boston Globe, followed by formal announcements a few days later. A24 has mastered the art of blurring the line between fiction and reality.
Jonathan Anderson at the helm of Dior: a craft-driven vision that resonates
The partnership makes perfect sense when you consider the profile of Jonathan Anderson, appointed creative director of Dior in June 2025. A well-known cinephile, he has close ties with several figures from contemporary cinema. He designed the costumes for Luca Guadagnino’s film Queer, and regularly collaborates with actors including Josh O’Connor.
In the press release accompanying the announcement, Anderson describes the collaboration as a space for mutual creation. In his words, placing two worlds driven by creativity side by side allows things to emerge that neither could have found alone. It is precisely this logic of reciprocal influence that sets this partnership apart from a simple visibility deal.
For its part, A24 has established itself over twelve years as a genuine cultural brand, built on a craft-oriented vision of cinema and a desire to shake up industry conventions. That philosophy resonates directly with the creative approach Anderson champions at the helm of the Parisian house.
The cast of the launch short film
The 10 September date also marks the first anniversary of the reopening of the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York, which A24 has owned since 2023. To celebrate the occasion and make the collaboration official, a short film directed by Aidan Zamiri, a rising figure on the independent scene and director of The Moment, is unveiled to the public.
- Sabrina Carpenter, Hollywood actress and face of the In Training teaser
- Camille Cottin, French actress featured in the cast
- Josh O’Connor, a close collaborator of Jonathan Anderson
- Drew Starkey, also in the credits
- Sophie Wilde, completing this international cast
- Jonathan Anderson himself, playing the role of Jonathan Anderson
This casting choice concretely illustrates the project’s international reach. By bringing together talents from multiple backgrounds, the short film embodies, from its very launch, the ambition of the partnership: to cross worlds, disciplines and nationalities.
Dior and cinema: a story that goes back to the 1950s
This coming together with A24 is rooted in a long-standing tradition for the French house. Back in the 1950s, Christian Dior was already collaborating with Alfred Hitchcock. At the time, Marlene Dietrich had made the designer a non-negotiable condition for working with the director of The Birds again, summed up in the now-legendary line: “No Dior, No Dietrich.”
Yet the nature of this new partnership goes far beyond dressing actors or placing gowns on a set. By joining forces with A24, the house is no longer content to accompany cinema from the outside. It is choosing to enter its creative ecosystem and, perhaps, to help shape it from within. This is a fundamental shift in posture, one that positions Dior no longer as a supplier to the seventh art, but as a fully-fledged player in contemporary cultural storytelling.
