When LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault announced that Jonathan Anderson would become creative director of Dior Men’s back in April, Anderson’s Instagram bio changed simply to ‘Dior’. This increased speculation that the Northern Irish designer was set for a full takeover of the French maison, which today (June 2), has been officially announced.
‘It is a great honour to join the House of Dior as Creative Director of both women’s and men’s collections,” said Anderson in a statement. “I have always been inspired by the rich history of this House, its depth, and empathy. I look forward to working alongside its legendary Ateliers to craft the next chapter of this incredible story.”
Anderson’s appointment is also a historical one; he is the first sole creative director of the house since Monsieur Dior himself. Not only will he look after Dior Men’s, but the women’s shows and haute couture too. In fact, we’re due to see his Dior vision for the first time as soon as this month – the designer will present his first men’s collection on June 27 as part of Paris Fashion Week.
The announcement follows last week’s news that Maria Grazia Chiuri, the maison’s first female creative director, would be stepping down after nine years at the brand. She presented her final collection during the Dior Cruise SS26 show in her hometown, Rome, last Tuesday (May 27). Anderson also replaces Kim Jones at Dior Men’s, who left his post in January this year.
Prior to taking the top job at Dior, Anderson had been creative director of Spanish luxury brand Loewe, while simultaneously designing for his namesake brand, JW Anderson. According to the New York Times, the JW Anderson brand has been put on hold while he focuses on Dior.
“Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation,” Bernard Arnault said in a statement. “His incomparable artistic signature will be a crucial asset in writing the next chapter of the history of the house of Dior.”
At least for now, this announcement marks the finale of the seemingly endless fashion designer dominoes (17 brands have announced new creative directors already in 2025, with four of them at LVMH alone). Next up: the many, many debuts.