11 October 2024 |
The designer has stepped down to focus on his work at Dior Men’s.
Four years after Fendi announced that Kim Jones would take over as Artistic Director of womenswear and couture, the two have decided to go their separate ways. The brand announced today that Jones has stepped down and will instead focus on his role at Dior’s Men. Between being named Karl Lagerfeld’s successor and starting a role during the height of the pandemic, Jones had a monumental task ahead of him. His debut couture collection which featured the likes of Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss was widely praised. The brand also notably partnered up with Donatella Versace on a label-swapping line that was a social media hit as well as tapping Marc Jacobs for a splashy New York Fashion Week show in 2022. Commercially he was equally as successful, with WWD reporting that under his purview, the brand tripled revenue, topping out at nearly 2 billion euros.
Per the press release issued by LVMH earlier today Bernard Arnault Chairman and CEO of LVMH, said: “Kim Jones is a highly talented designer who has brought his unique and multicultural vision to Fendi over the past four years. I would like to thank him for his contribution and look forward to continuing to witness his creativity for Dior Men’s.”
As for his replacement? That has yet to be determined but the rumors have been swirling around Pierpaolo Piccioli possibly being named successor. The news comes during a time when there are multiple vacancies across the luxury houses, with the most notable being Chanel, Dries Van Noten, and Jean Paul Gaultier. Coupled with reports that the contracts of other top designers like Jonathan Anderson, John Galliano, and Luke and Lucie Meier are also up this year, it’s going to be an interesting end of 2024 to see what announcements, if any, will be made. Looks like we’ll be in store for a very different looking 2025 come show season.
Photography courtesy of Fendi
