The 82nd Venice Film Festival wasn’t just a celebration of cinema—it also doubled as a runway for autumn’s defining fashion trends. With the arrival of new creative directors at iconic houses like Versace and Dior, the red carpet revealed a stylish preview of what’s to come in the luxury fashion world.
Making her Lido debut, Julia Roberts stunned in a navy blue Versace gown designed by Dario Vitale, the brand’s newly appointed creative head. The dress, with its long sleeves, sweeping train, and subtle check pattern, showcased Vitale’s signature play on contrast and structure. Having taken over from Donatella Versace in April, Vitale brings a fresh perspective to the house. Known for his commercial success at Miu Miu, he’s part of a rising generation of designers steering fashion through a challenging era.
Also making headlines was Dior’s latest creative lead, Jonathan Anderson. Already overseeing the brand’s men’s and haute couture lines—a first since Christian Dior himself—Anderson is quickly leaving his mark. The Northern Irish designer made waves with actress Alba Rohrwacher’s red carpet appearance in a midnight blue, Victorian-inspired Dior gown. Crafted over 126 hours, the long-sleeved dress evoked the grandeur of historical silhouettes, signaling a return to craftsmanship and romanticism in high fashion.
Anderson’s cross-disciplinary collaborations continue to blur the lines between film and fashion. A frequent collaborator of director Luca Guadagnino, Anderson designed the costumes for his film Queer, presented at last year’s festival. At this year’s event, Guadagnino appeared at a press conference wearing a cheeky Dior T-shirt reading “No Dior, No Dietrich,” referencing 1930s icon Marlene Dietrich.
The fashion conversation in Venice will continue with the out-of-competition premiere of Marc by Sofia, Sofia Coppola’s first documentary. The film focuses on her longtime friend Marc Jacobs, the iconic designer who led Louis Vuitton from 1997 to 2013. Now 62, Jacobs remains the creative force behind his own brand under the LVMH umbrella.
With Anderson’s first Dior women’s show slated for October and Matthieu Blazy preparing for his debut at Chanel, the Venice red carpet is just the beginning of a season poised for reinvention and bold creative leadership.
