After a successful 11-year run at Loewe, a house he exited in March, Jonathan Anderson has been appointed artistic director of Dior menswear. He succeeds Kim Jones, who stepped down in January.
The house’s brief statement on Anderson’s appointment was shared after LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault announced at the conglomerate’s annual general meeting on Thursday that Anderson would design the next Dior Men show on 27 June.
Anderson was appointed creative director of LVMH-owned Loewe in September 2013. He was then a 29-year-old designer with a fledgling business: Anderson created his namesake brand JW Anderson in 2008, in which LVMH took a minority stake in 2013. At Loewe, he has never ceased to amaze, with standout shows, clever collaborations and buzzy campaigns.
Under his tenure, the house became one of luxury’s hottest fashion brands. His SS25 show for Loewe received a standing ovation from many of his peers (Sarah Burton, Pieter Mulier, Adrian Appiolaza, Nicolas Di Felice, Kris Van Assche and Pharrell Williams all attended) as well as Delphine Arnault and actors. Loewe’s sales went from approximately €230 million in 2014, according to Morgan Stanley estimates, to between €1.5 billion and €2 billion in 2024, according to estimates by Bernstein analyst Luca Solca.
His exit from Loewe was announced in March. He was replaced at the Spanish house by Proenza Schouler founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.
Can he recreate the same magic at Dior Men? Like most of its peers, Dior has been impacted by the luxury downturn and global turmoil. In the first quarter, sales of LVMH’s fashion and leather goods division were down 5 per cent, with Dior slightly below of the division average, according to the group. Still, it remains a megabrand: Dior sales were €8.7 billion in 2024, down from €9.48 billion in 2023, according to HSBC estimates.
Anderson, who is known for his conceptual and clean collections, made for daily life — and has a reputation as a hard-working and brilliant designer — surely has the ability to blend in with the Dior DNA.
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