The Business of Fashion
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Kim Jones is exiting Fendi, where he was artistic director of womenswear and couture. The British designer now plans to ‘concentrate fully’ on his role as menswear designer at LVMH stablemate Dior, Jones and Fendi said in a statement Friday. A new creative configuration will be announced “in due time,” the statement read.
Jones added the Fendi role to his responsibilities designing Dior menswear in 2020 as the Roman fur and leather goods house sought to open a new cycle of growth following the shocks of Covid-19 lockdowns and the 2019 death of Karl Lagerfeld, who revolutionised the brand during a tenure that lasted for over 50 years.
Jones is known for a sophisticated, globetrotting aesthetic that blends regal tailoring with signatures from streetwear culture, including collaborations with sneaker giant Nike and cult outerwear brand Stone Island. The designer has also enriched collections by working with artists ranging from hypebeast-approved names like Kaws to Judy Blame and Hylton Nel.
The designer built a reputation as one of the leading voices in luxury menswear during his tenures at Louis Vuitton and Dunhill, before joining Dior in 2018. But womenswear was a fresh challenge for Jones.
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His collections mined Fendi’s legacy of Roman elegance (turning to the women in the brand’s iconic founding family for inspiration) while refreshing the playful, pop-luxury voice Lagerfeld brought to the house with a palette of beiges and pastels.
The shakeup comes amid a flurry of designer changes as brands seek to update their aesthetics amid slowing sales across the sector. Last week, LVMH confirmed Hedi Slimane was leaving Celine (replaced by Michael Rider). Last month, the group named Sarah Burton creative director of stablemate Givenchy.
The news that Jones plans to “concentrate fully” on his role at Dior could dampen speculation that LVMH’s designer shakeup will soon extend to Christian Dior. Miss Tweed reported last week that LVMH would promote Loewe designer Jonathan Anderson to the French couture brand, giving him control over both men’s and women’s. LVMH declined to comment on the report.
Disclosure: LVMH is part of a group of investors who, together, hold a minority interest in The Business of Fashion. All investors have signed shareholders’ documentation guaranteeing BoF’s complete editorial independence.
