It’s his second departure from luxury brands in two months

Kim Jones at his last Dior Men show two weeks ago. Screen shot Dior/YouTube

The news was sudden, but perhaps it surprised no one. Amid persistent rumours that Jonathon Anderson would be going to Dior, the brand has announced that its star designer of the men’s collections Kim Jones has decided to part ways with the LVMH-owned maison. Mr Jones has served as Dior Men’s creative director for seven years. Before that, he was at Louis Vuitton Men (also for another seven years)—a position that allowed him to move horizontally within the LVMH brands. Last November, he parted ways with Fendi, where he oversaw the women’s collection for four years without real breakthrough or ringing success on the store floor. It is not immediately clear where Mr Jones would head to next, or if he would still remain in the business of luxury fashion.

Dior released a short statement to the media earlier today, saying that Mr Jones “accelerated the development of men’s collections internationally and has greatly contributed to the worldwide influence of the house by creating an inspiring wardrobe that is both classic and contemporary, and connected to some artists of our time”. They did not say why, despite all that, they were willing to let him go. Mr Jones is a commercially-savvy, hype-loving, collab-eager, and logo-embracing designer; he has created massive hits for Dior, such as the wildly successful Dior X Nike Air Jordan 1. It did not occur to industry watchers that his leaving Fendi was prelude to the end of his career with Dior. Given that he has augmented Dior Men’s profile and paired successfully with other brands and visual artists, it was thought that his tenure at Dior was secure.

Now, the ferocious chatter is that Dior’s womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri would be next. If the rumour about Jonathan Anderson moving to Dior is true, it is possible that he would want to do both the men’s and women’s lines, just as he does for Loewe and his eponymous brand. In fact, many had thought that Ms Chiuri would eventually leave, not Mr Jones. The dramatic changes at Dior is perhaps reflective of what industry watchers are calling a “purge” amid a slowdown in sales among luxury brands. Reuters reported that “Dior’s performance was weaker than Louis Vuitton over the final quarter of last year”. At the recent autumn/winter 2025 season of men’s fashion week in Paris, Kim Jones showed what we thought was the best collection of his career at Dior. It didn’t—and still does not—look like he was willing to let go of the reigns at what has been considered one of the most-prized of the LVMH brands.