Dior is bringing a little old-school artistry to Christmas, enlisting acclaimed French animator Sylvain Chomet to direct a beautifully illustrated festive film starring the voices of Rihanna, Robert Pattinson and a host of Hollywood names.
The film forms part of Dior’s 2026 holiday advertising campaign, rolling out across the fashion house’s digital platforms, including Instagram and YouTube, while characters and scenes from the animation will also feature in Dior store windows around the world.
Titled Christian Dior’s Night in Color, the short film transports viewers to a snowy Paris in 1949, taking them inside the historic House of Dior at 30 Avenue Montaigne for an imaginary Christmas adventure inspired by the designer’s friendship with Hollywood screen legend Marlene Dietrich.
Rather than another glossy celebrity-led Christmas commercial, Dior has created a moving illustrated fairytale, with Chomet bringing his signature hand-drawn aesthetic to the story.
The filmmaker is best known for his Oscar-nominated animated films The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist, as well as A Magnificent Life. His distinctive visual style gives the campaign a nostalgic, storybook quality, making the animation itself one of its biggest drawcards.
The film opens on a quiet winter’s night, with the House fast asleep until a telephone rings.
On the other end is a distressed caller with an urgent request: Dietrich needs a new dress after discovering her latest film will be shot in colour rather than black and white.
What comes after is a magical journey through the House, where familiar objects come to life and Christian Dior is called upon to create a show-stopping gown for the Hollywood star, with a little help from his swarm of bees – the affectionate name he gave his team of seamstresses.
Leading the voice cast is The Batman star Robert Pattinson, who narrates the film, while Rihanna lends her voice to the House’s emblematic Lucky Star. French actress Camille Cottin voices Dietrich, with Louis Garrel, Josh O’Connor, LaKeith Stanfield, Greta Lee, Nine d’Urso and Nadia Tereszkiewicz also joining the ensemble.
The campaign also arrives as luxury fashion brands increasingly turn to traditional illustration and animation to distinguish their festive advertising from the growing volume of AI-generated content.
Italian fashion house Prada recently unveiled its own hand-drawn Christmas campaign, Drawing Prada: Animated by Hand, working with veteran Disney animator John Pomeroy to create an illustrated winter wonderland featuring actors Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
And earlier this week, Porsche launched a hand-painted film. Others include Prada’s pencil-and-paper animation film and Levi’s completely handmade stop-motion Claymation holiday ad.
