The runway hair and makeup looks of couture season always lean toward the fantastical, and Christian Dior’s Spring-Summer 2025 show was no exception. Inspired by both Alice in Wonderland and counterculture, Dior’s creative and image director, Peter Philips, alongside hairstylist Guido Palau, crafted a striking aesthetic. Models graced the catwalk with flushed cheeks, feathered brows, and "romantic punk" mohawks—an avant-garde vision brought to life by renowned milliner Stephen Jones.
“Our inspiration was fairy-tale makeup with an Alice in Wonderland twist, infused with a punk edge,” says Philips. Once again, blush took center stage—specifically, Dior's Rouge Blush Colour & Glow in 257 Dioriviera. This continues Philips' “workout blush” look from the Spring 2025 ready-to-wear collection, where blush was placed low on the cheekbones for a post-exercise flush. For couture, the trend evolved into "boyfriend blush"—still flushed but softer, with a more matte finish.
Models’ skin was prepped with Dior Capture Le Sérum, followed by Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation for a luminous yet natural effect. Mascara was deliberately omitted, while lips received a swipe of the viral Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil in 000 Universal Clear. Eyebrows were sculpted for drama, lifted with clear gel for a laminated effect, and enhanced with the Diorshow On Set Brow pencil to create spiky, feathered faux hairs.
Palau described the braided, headpiece-adorned hairstyles as "romantic punk—Maria Grazia punk, with a feminine edge." He reflected on punk’s evolution from its rebellious ’70s roots into something almost poetic: “It’s fascinating how our perception of beauty shifts over time.”
This striking beauty concept perfectly complemented Dior’s haute couture collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. As the brand explains, the collection serves as “an opportunity to reawaken sartorial memory, drawing from past centuries while transcending time itself.” Just as Alice stepped through the looking glass into a world of transformation, Dior’s Spring-Summer 2025 couture collection invites us into a realm where fashion defies past, present, and future.