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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Meguire Hennes

Dior Reimagines a Spring 2026 Dress for Natalie Portman at the 2025 Governors Awards

Natalie Portman wore a custom Dior mini dress at the 2025 Governors Awards.

November 16 was a big day for Dior. Creative director Jonathan Anderson dressed Jennifer Lawrence, Mia Goth, Josh O'Connor, and Natalie Portman at the 2025 Governors Awards. The latter fashion muse (and longest brand ambassador of them all) had the honor of wearing custom Dior, hand-crafted just for her by Anderson.

The Sunday evening soirée—known as the precursor to the Oscars—was as star-studded as any Academy Awards ceremony. Portman, an Oscar winner herself, proved the black tie dress code was slightly less enforced at the Governors Awards. Her stylist Ryan Hastings traded the traditional floor-length gown for a flirty, thigh-length dress.

Embroidered organza made up the entire mini, beginning with a sleeveless, spaghetti-strap bodice. The U-shaped neckline was Portman's preferred silhouette, while the fit-and-flare skirt felt fresh.

Natalie Portman played into her youthful side in custom Dior by Jonathan Anderson. (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to behind-the-scenes photos, Anderson and his design team began with the skirt, in all its skater-ish glory. Sculptural strips of organza brought the rippled shape to life, designed to cascade down and around Portman's frame. A second layer in white peeked out from underneath while adding dimension to the skirt.

See the bare-bones mini in the design studio. (Image credit: Sophie Carre)

Once the skirt found its shape, designers cloaked it with an intricate floral textile, made of blue, yellow, white, and black daisies. The Spring 2026 fabric, which debuted in Anderson's first womenswear show, covered both the bodice and high-low skirt. The same exterior wrapped the bottom tier of Portman's skirt, except in various shades of stark white.

Blue floral embroidery felt so bold for the neutral enthusiast. (Image credit: Sophie Carre)
Each slab was stitched by hand. (Image credit: Sophie Carre)
The white flowers had a subtle iridescent shine. (Image credit: Sophie Carre)

Clearly, Anderson is bringing out Portman's youthful, sprightly side. Her previous Dior dresses—though in similar silhouettes—hardly broke from her beloved neutral color palette. (Black, short-sleeve styles were her favorite in years past.)

Tiffany & Co. sparklers grounded Portman's uncharacteristic pick in movie star glamour. Her décolletage boasted an $83,000 diamond necklace from Tiffany's Bird on a Rock collection. Simple diamond stud earrings ensured all eyes went to her necklace. A $16,400 diamond band, courtesy of the Schlumberger line, shined atop the Black Swan actor's right hand.

Here it is on the mannequin back in Paris, before being shipped to Natalie's doorstep. (Image credit: Sophie Carre)

Portman's Governors Awards select came straight from the mind of Anderson, but not before sourcing his Spring 2026 collection for inspiration. You may recognize its blue flowers from Look 57: a short-sleeve gown topped with a black, elongated bow. It began as a thigh-length shift dress, before strands of floral-embroidered organza dangled from the hem. Even Portman's satin, bow-embellished pumps hailed from the Spring 2026 presentation.

A model showcased the same floral fabric on Dior's Spring 2026 runway. (Image credit: Launchmetrics)

Portman missed Anderson's debut runway show, but she's still a faraway fan. Since his takeover last June, she's worn two Dior by Anderson designs, beginning with a bow-topped blouse and a denim mini skirt in October. The next day, she was spotted in Dior Spring 2026 again—a bubble-hem mini skirt, which felt so unexpected for Portman. All this to say? If anyone can bring out Portman's playful side, it's Anderson.

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