Dior has announced today the appointment of Jonathan Anderson as the creative director of all its fashion collections: women's, Haute Couture, and men's.
This is the first time, since the times of the founder Christian Dior, that a single creative director will be responsible for all the brand's proposals, which will "strengthen its global creative vision," as highlighted by the maison in a statement.
Anderson, a 40-year-old Northern Irish, had been expected for months in the Parisian fashion circles, where the departure of another prominent figure, the Italian Maria Grazia Chiuri, was taken for granted, and was finally confirmed last week after nine years as head of the women's collections.
Dior will not hold Haute Couture shows next July, so we will not be able to see Anderson's work for women's fashion until October, a busy month for the industry where designers will also debut at brands like Chanel, Gucci, Balenciaga, Loewe, Bottega Veneta, and Versace, among others.
Anderson, upon his appointment, stated that it is "a great honor" for him and he looks forward to "working alongside their legendary workshops to forge the next chapter" of their incredible history. Likewise, Delphine Arnault, president and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, expressed her belief that [Anderson] will bring "a creative and modern vision" to the maison.
Anderson will design ten collections a year for the French house, in addition to the six he leads at his luxury brand JW Anderson and the two commitments he has with Uniqlo, totaling 18 collections a year, positioning him as the most prolific and versatile designer in the industry since Karl Lagerfeld.
The new head of all Dior collections was trained at the London School of Fashion and is described by the brand as "a visionary creator." After founding his own label, JW Anderson, in 2008, he was appointed creative director of the Spanish Loewe in 2013, which, like Dior, is part of the French luxury group LVMH.
"Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation. His unique artistic signature will be a crucial asset in writing the next chapter of the maison Dior's history," said LVMH's CEO, Bernard Arnault, about him.
Dior's appointment now closes a series of significant movements in recent months at the helm of some of Paris' most important fashion houses or French groups. Just two weeks ago, Italian Pierpaolo Piccioli was appointed at the helm of Balenciaga, the French brand of Spanish origin that is part of the French group Kering.
Piccioli will fill the vacancy left by the Georgian Demna, who left to lead Gucci, the Italian brand that alone generates half of Kering's revenue but has been facing issues for some years.
Prior to this, British Kim Jones left the creative direction of Dior's menswear. In December, the Franco-Belgian Matthieu Blazy was announced as the new creative director of Chanel, and last December also saw John Galliano's departure from Maison Margiela, where he will be replaced by the Belgian Glenn Martens.