Pink skies swirled above a surreal desert floor. Looming cacti spike the atmosphere alongside strange mushrooms that looked extremely magic and roses as tall as trees. It was clear, the world of Travis Scott and his Cactus Jack record label had overlapped with Dior’s.

A few days before the show, it was announced that Scott would be collaborating with Kim Jones on the SS22 collection – marking the first full Dior collection ever created with a musician. A major moment, and something that makes total sense. Since Jones joined the house, musicians have outlined his tenure: whether that’s designing stage outfits for K-Pop sensations BTS or filling his front row with the likes of A$AP Rocky, Lily Allen, Lenny Kravitz and Playboi Carti. The connection is palpable in Jones’ work and personality.

As for the psychedelic desertscape runway – yes, an actual IRL runway with an actual IRL audience – those giant roses represented Monsieur Dior’s childhood at Villa Les Rhumbs, a seaside house in Normandy with a lush garden cared for by his mother Madeleine, while the cacti were symbols of Scott’s native Texas. Kim Jones has basically lived everywhere, so he fits into any geographic category. The press release added another layer: “Christian Dior journeyed to America as early as 1947; one of his first destinations on this odyssey was Texas, whose extraordinary landscapes made a lasting impression.”

An all-black look kicked things off: relaxed satin suiting under a perfectly tailored overcoat. Cactus-inspired gold hardware punctuated the outfit which was finished with a black bucket hat as a contemporary replacement for the 10 gallon. Silhouette drawn, the collection began to reflect the evolving skies above, with soft pastels creating a trippy sci-fi energy that turned desert sands into alien terrain.

The wraparound tailoring that has become a signature for Jones’ Dior here became collaress Beatles style jackets more reminiscent of Star Trek uniforms in this context, while fringing was formed across knitwear, replicating the suede versions in every cowboy’s wardrobe. Intarsia sweaters were crafted with a new take on the classic CD monogram, pulling Scott’s Cactus Jack into the mix. Dior Tailleur Oblique suits were updated with side-leg sporty details, metal studs and split hems alongside basketball shorts, as python prints slithered into the frame to tempt us even more. Acid green tones were far-out, while one particularly poignant tee featured the face of Scott’s friend, the late hip-hop star Pop Smoke, who had a track titled Dior.

Meanwhile Jones’ artistic collaboration roll-call can now include American contemporary visual artist George Condo, who lent a series of exclusive abstract works. Printed across asymmetrical shirting, the fluid lines seemingly altered the cut of the garment to create new shapes. (A series of Condo’s works are set to be auctioned post-show for Travis Scott’s Parsons School of Design fund.) These pieces were mixed between hand-knitted versions of Scott’s own warped drawings.

Roses and cactus intertwined, together puncturing a new world for us to explore.