A Look from Dior’s Cruise 2026 Runway Collection Recalls an Ancient Greek Terra-Cotta Statuette

This Greek terra-cotta statuette is thought to represent a deity, thanks to her polos headdress coupled with drapery and a pose akin to representations of
Aphrodite. Dating from the mid to late second century b.c., it is housed in the magnificent Lamont Wing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Set in the gardens of Rome’s Villa Albani Torlonia, the Dior cruise 2026 runway show—Maria Grazia Chiuri’s final presentation before leaving the brand—featured this trompe l’oeil gown intricately crafted with vermicelli beading in gradient tones to give the effect of shadow and contour.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Fall Issue in the section “Life Imitates Art.” Subscribe to the magazine.