A photo of Christian Dior’s original salon stretched the width of the Invalides, the gold-domed palace where Napoleon is buried, offering a fish-eye view of the past to the throngs shrieking outside — and a sign of just where Dior believes it belongs in the pantheon of French power.

The first designer to head the fashion house’s menswear, womenswear and haute couture brought his signature subverted spin to the 78-year-old brand

Ahead of his debut collection as creative director of Dior, the Irish designer talked to WWD about managing the hype, embracing the past, and how he plans to play the long game.