Dior and A24 Launch Two-Year Partnership with Justin Vivian Bond at Cherry Lane Theatre

On Thursday evening, The Cherry Lane Theatre in New York's West Village hosted a performance by Justin Vivian Bond to celebrate a new two-year partnership between Dior and A24. The collaboration aims to support the historic playhouse, which is the longest-running off-Broadway theatre in the United States. Bond, who has a two-decade-long friendship with Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson, shared a story from 23 years ago when they met at Central Saint Martins in London. She asked Anderson to create hats for her shows, and he later designed for her graduate show. For this event, Bond wore a 100-year-old purple gown by Paul Poiret from Anderson's archives, referencing the venue's century-plus history. The 40-minute set, titled Both Ends, began with a reading from Edna St. Vincent Millay, a founder of the theatre. Bond performed emotive songs, many by late trans singers, with a five-piece band, and joked about the partnership's impact on the arts. Director Zack Winokur, who previously worked with Bond on Only an Octave Apart, noted the quick assembly of the show. Guests enjoyed popcorn, pick-and-mix sweets, dirty martinis, and Champagne. The event concluded at 10:30 p.m., after which attendees gathered outside and some moved to Julius, the city's oldest gay bar. The partnership between Dior and A24, teased on social media, underscores a shared commitment to independent storytelling and cultural institutions.