02-06-2025
- Business
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
Jonathan Anderson Is Announced Creative Director Of Dior
The French major force of fashion has announced Jonathan Anderson will succeed Maria Grazia Chiuri as creative director for men's, women's and couture collections
In the world of high fashion, few announcements ripple across the industry with such gravity as an announcement about the Big Four: whether Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Dior. Today, as the morning light hit the ivory façades of Avenue Montaigne, a new era began for latter. 'We have some very exciting news,' Delphine Arnault, Chair and CEO of Christian Dior Couture told Business of Fashion, announcing a new era for one of the industry's behemoth brands. 'Jonathan Anderson is going to be the head of creation for Dior—across men's and women's, couture and accessories.'
It's a poetic full-circle moment. For the first time in decades, Dior's artistic vision will be steered by a single creative force, as it once was in the days of Monsieur Dior himself. The announcement is also not entirely surprising, as Jonathan had already been appointed Creative Director of Dior men's collections earlier this year, and his name has been on the lips of every industry insider since Maria Grazia Chiuri announced her departure on Thursday.
'Over the last 11 years that he has been at LVMH, we've often spoken about what could come next,' said Delphine. 'There was always one brand he was drawn to. And now, we believe this is his moment.' Anderson, now 40, brings more than youth. He brings duality — the artisan and the futurist, the romantic and the realist. With an eye trained in meticulous craftsmanship and a mind unafraid to disrupt, he arrives with plenty of energy to take on one of fashion's biggest beasts. 'He has a very clear vision for the brand,' says Arnault. 'He's completely energised by the challenge.'
The Northern Irish designer certainly has the meteoric rise to suggest he's up to the task at hand. One of the most daring talents of his generation, Jonathan launched his own menswear brand straight out of London College of Fashion in 2008. In 2013, he succeeded Christopher Kane at Versace's Versus, and shortly after was appointed creative director of Spanish luxury label Loewe. The rest, as they say, was history. In the 11 years at the helm, Jonathan's influence was transformative. Perhaps one of LVMH's greatest coup, Jonathan turned sales of approximately €230 million in 2014 according to Morgan Stanley, to between €1.5 billion and €2 billion in 2024, according to Bernstein analyst Luca Solca.
Whether it was an evening gown or a tank top, Jonathan's touch was golden—a talent that we expect to shine even brighter as he accepts the keys to the house of Dior, with the maison's full manpower and métiers d'art at his fingertips. Knowing Jonathan's clean and contemporary aesthetic, we predict he will start with a sketch and simple dream, poised to put together Dior's new design DNA one stitch at a time.
