Collection Overview * CACTUS JACK & DIOR 22' - Western Couture

Lets travel back and take a look at Houstonfornication + High Fashion.

Dior x Cactus Jack Collaboration at Paris Fashion Week

Travis Scott is nothing short of someone who knows his way around fashion and the pleasing silhouettes associated with it and that theory was proven strongly all the way back in 2021 with the announcement and reveal of a Cactus Jack Dior collaboration.

The Cactus Jack x Dior Summer 22’ set serves as a masterclass in blending luxury with cultural narratives and weaving together the heritage of French couture and the dynamic ethos of Houston's western and streetwear city culture.

But, how did we exactly get here? Cactus Jack .. and Dior?? Really?

As crazy as it sounds yes, this collaboration happened and came with a lot of background and history behind it and I feel it hasn’t been truly covered in full detail seeing as there is so much love behind this duo working together.

Before joining Dior in 2018, Kim Jones was the Artistic Director of Menswear at Louis Vuitton, a position he held from 2011 to 2018 and during that tenure at LV, Jones became renowned for his ability to merge luxury fashion with streetwear influences. His collaborations, such as the groundbreaking Louis Vuitton x Supreme partnership in 2017, cemented his reputation as a transformative force in modern menswear so it isn’t very surprising he would continue to mix high luxury with streetwear while being under a completely different fashion house.

Following his successful run at Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones was appointed the Artistic Director of Dior Men in March 2018. He officially started his tenure with the debut of his first collection for Dior Men at Paris Fashion Week in June 2018 and continued to push the baggy streetwear scene into the high-end luxury world and from 2018 - now, Travis Scott was the celebrity streetwear style golden child.

With Kim Jones’ love for city style inspired silhouettes and Travis Scott being nothing but an embodiment of it, many could do the math, and even if they didn’t expect it to happen - they can’t be surprised that it did. The collection’s inception stems from a mutual admiration between Jones and Scott, whose creative language includes an obsession with hometown pride, artistic surrealism, and subcultural references makes him an easy candidate for creative thinking.

Select Text from Hypebeast piece regarding Cactus Jack Dior collaboration

Scott's influence in music and streetwear culture brought immediate attention to the idea of this collection. His past collaborations with Nike and the release of many Jordan and various other vintage Nike Silhouettes, McDonald's with his own meal, and other brands solidified his cultural cache with his label Cactus Jack. Dior's legacy of high fashion and its recent explorations into contemporary streetwear made the pairing intriguing especially under Jones’ direction.

Origins and Ethos: Western Luxury Meets French Couture

Though Jones has worked with a number of visual artists during his tenures at both Louis Vuitton and Dior —Jordan, Supreme, Peter Doig, Amoafo Boako, the Chapman brothers— This collaboration marks the first time Dior entrusted its collection to a musician — a historic crossover of modern-day stardom with old-world luxury Dior is usually known for.

Prior to the show, Travis Scott took to social media to unveil a Cactus Jack x Dior Pop Smoke tribute tee with the rapper’s face printed on the front of the tee, with the lyrics “Christian Dior, Dior / When it rains it pours” from Pop’s song “Dior” appear on the back

Pop Smoke homage tee that wouldn’t make the collection.

This collection draws heavily on Scott’s Houston roots, the collection marries rugged, Western-inspired elements with Dior’s signature tailoring. Embroidered denim, earthy palettes, and leather accents evoke Texan plains, while the refinement of structured suits and couture techniques anchor the pieces in Parisian sophistication. The ethos is one of storytelling, where Houston becomes a cultural protagonist in the narrative of high fashion. The set was obviously the most discussed aspect outside of the pieces themselves, with cactus brooches, mushrooms, a large cow skull in the middle, floral layouts and a pale desert setting to emphasize the dry, scorching-state feel Texas is known for. The runway models made their way past these props and headed towards a pearly gate adorned with the initials “CJ” before turning around and exiting.

A Lo-Fi soundtrack was also of taste running through the runway with tracks from Griselda rapper Westside Gunn and Scott himself.

Photography from runway.

Scott’s heavy usage of rodeo imagery and sense mixed with the creative set building of Dior made one of the best looking sets i’ve seen in a while —biased due to being a Texas resident—

The wild west aesthetic is prominent in every single way it could’ve been used in this collection, with the flared slim flitting cowboy silhouettes being used to the extreme. Scott and Jones definitely weren’t the first to implement this aesthetic yet, they did it best than most could.

The large emphasis on leather, pure embroidery and bootcut truly replicates and pays homage to the early 1860s look of western American fashion that Scott is known for referencing a lot in certain work of his fashion wise and music wise.

Go listen to all of Rodeo and Mamacita, you’ll see what I mean.

Upon the evocative aesthetics of the Texan frontier embedded within the structured precision and refined detail synonymous with the Dior atelier, the dialogue that bridges rustic Americana with haute couture sophistication catches the eye of the viewer so easily. Scott and Jones would present a mostly earth tone palette with hints of neon and pink popping through with certain pieces. Sweater vests, turtlenecks, outerwear, blazers, backpacks, saddle bags, wallets, and eyewear barely scratch the surface of the amount of items in this capsule and each one is so beautifully crafted with extreme detail and attention

The collection sees Dior’s iconic prints and motifs transformed through the Cactus Jack lens, such as the toile de Jouy into a “toile de Cactus” and the Dior Oblique motif morphed into a Cactus Jack Oblique. More original prints are used throughout this collection like the stand-out motif of text that reads “If You Can Read This I Must Love You To Let You This Close,” which can be found on the sleeves of knit sweaters, as well as on accessories such as ties and blankets.

Another collaborative highlight was the usage of George Condo’s artwork adorned on button downs and crewnecks. Condo, a frequent collaborator of Scott and many other musicians and labels, appears on select coats with rainbow and blue palettes and this feature of art activates a very niche interest of mine where collaborators use outside work that isn’t associated with either of the brands, to die for. This collection also features a large usage of snake patterns and prints to represent the large population of them as Texas is known to be “snake state”.

Finishing touches came by way of painterly printed bucket hats, new iterations of the house’s iconic Saddle bag, and more than a few pairs of Kurt Cobain-esque sunglasses

Scott continues to represent his upbringing in Houston with shirts and sweaters showing Texas culture, just with Paris craftsmanship. This fusion embodies the modern luxury consumer’s desire for authenticity, where heritage and innovation coalesce. It eschews the exclusivity of traditional luxury for a more accessible yet aspirational vision, appealing to both the streetwear-savvy audience and the couture connoisseur like Jones’ run with Dior is known to represent. Oversized and relaxed fits nod to the functional wear of the West, while sharp tailoring introduces an stylistic edit. This interplay ensures the collection remains rooted in its couture lineage even as it embraces casual, approachable forms. Even beyond clothing and sets, accessories like bolo ties, often associated with cowboy culture, are reimagined with a luxurious adjustment. Encrusted with jewels or paired with structured suits, these elements bridge the Texas scene with Paris’ boujee "bourgeoise" aesthetic.

Beyond its visual elements, the collection serves as a commentary on globalization in fashion. Houston’s identity—often seen as distant from high-fashion epicenters—is not just referenced by Scott but celebrated, demonstrating that luxury is no longer confined to Paris, Milan, or New York. By weaving in Texan symbolism, the collection redefines luxury as a dialogue rather than a monologue and shows the many identities and cultural marks Houston offers that can be utilized in fashion in no way done before thanks to Scott and Jones.

Custom skateboards were featured in the collection too, merging street culture with the high-fashion narrative and continuing to push the skate aesthetic into this world especially with…

THE FOOTWEAR - featured in this collection was also a sparking point for many due to the layers of homage Dior and Scott continue to pay in this set. The stand-out model was the skate-inspired B713 silhouette. As unveiled by footwear designer Thibo Denis, the sneaker came in a range of colorways and featured the special Dior logo on the heel, as well as CD branding on a chunky tongue covered by thick laces.

Cactus Jack Dior shoe models presented in collection.

The B713 takes heavy inspiration from 2000s skate shoes like DCs and Etnies with the heavy tongue, thick lacing, and colorful palettes. The semi-chunky silhouette has been done before my many different high end luxury labels like Lanvins but Dior and CJ pull it off in a new modern and neutral way with nice earth tone colors and comfort. A few of the colorways that have been teased carry earthy tones which are omnipresent throughout many of Scott’s collaborations with Nike while others opt for playful neon and cool tones, as well as hefty snakeskin textures and flat gum soles. There was also a select few other shoe models explored in this collection with the usage of the B23 High Top DIOR shoe model in all black with Dior Cactus Jack branding on the base. An influx of slides were also premiered with patterns, patches, pins and more with numerous designs and logos across the shoe.

With the amount of new clothing, accessories, footwear, and more, this collaboration was packed with high crafted pieces that had the world anticipated for release, so what happened ?

A Delay Laden Creative Process + Implications

Originally set for release in 2021, the collection was postponed following the Astroworld tragedy. This delay sparked widespread discourse, with critics and fans debating the ethics of the release amid such a somber context. Dior stated that this decision was made "out of respect for everyone affected" by the tragedy.

The eventual arrival in 2022 was both a celebration and a moment of reconciliation, as Dior and Scott carefully navigated their shared vision within the framework of cultural sensitivity.

The delay also gave the collection additional gravitas—it became more than a fashion drop; it represented resilience, a recalibration of priorities, and the enduring influence of creative synergy. The meticulous curation of its unveiling reflected the weight of anticipation, cementing it as a cultural moment rather than just another seasonal release and something that had been anticipated for a while.

On July 13th of 2022, the collection would officially release on the Dior site with everything seen in the collection available for purchase with prices ranging from $300 socks to $7,000.

Thoughts and Conclusions - Vision on Cultural Fashion

The Cactus Jack x Dior collaboration is more than just a fashion statement—it’s a cultural artifact that encapsulates the power of partnership. By blending Scott’s Texan roots with Dior’s Parisian pedigree, the collection stands as a testament to the potential of fashion to tell stories, to bridge cities, and to redefine luxury.

Through its ethos, aesthetic, and the circumstances of its release, the collaboration underscores the role of fashion as both a mirror and a medium. It doesn’t just reflect contemporary culture—it actively shapes it, ensuring that even amid tragedy and uncertainty, the creative spirit thrives. Scott continues to show his creative vision not only through music but through clothing with the help of Jones’ love for streetwear and emphasis on culture. It highlighted Scott's role as a fashion innovator and brought new audiences to Dior. Pieces from the collection quickly became highly coveted, cementing the collaboration as a collectible and a statement in contemporary fashion history and this entire collection went down pretty memorable despite its delayed release and complications.

With the Western theme of this collection it reminded me heavily of Dior’s cruise 2018 show that had heavy Cowboy West inspired silhouettes

Although both collections differ in major ways, there’s definitely similarities in both with the usage of patterns, heavy leather and embroidery, and 1850s to the end of the 19th century fashion that resonates deeply with the cowboy era.

The full collection is available to view on Youtube and I can say overall, this collection was extremely solid and boundary pushing for both parties involved. With the influence of West-wear and high end flared luxury pieces it truly opens the eyes of Texas style to a bigger audience and continues to reinvent and push cowboy culture back into mainstream blending in with the rest of the modern trends we have. Final touches of chunky shoes, neon green mixed with pink and brown, and splatters of creativity in Scott’s mind is all this collection truly needed to be on the brain of many annoying fashion heads. 10/10, no notes.