Dior appoints Irishman Jonathan Anderson as sole creative director
Reuters
Dior is appointing its menswear designer Jonathan Anderson to also head womenswear designs and haute couture, replacing Maria Grazia Chiuri and widening his role as it seeks to reignite sales, the label said on Monday.
"Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation. Its unique artistic signature will be a key asset for writing the next chapter of the Dior house's history," LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault said in a statement.
The French fashion house named Co Derry-born Anderson (40) in April as head of menswear designs, recruiting him from smaller LVMH label Loewe.
The award-winning designer from Magherafelt generated buzz around Loewe over the decade he spent at the Spanish label, thanks to quirky designs that caught the attention – and praise – of fashion critics.
Signature styles under his tenure include baggy, barrel-legged jeans priced at €800 and the compact Puzzle handbag, which sells for around €3,000.
Anderson, whose departure from Loewe was announced in March, is one of several new high profile designers taking over some of the world's biggest fashion labels amid a wide-sweeping industry overhaul, including Chanel and Gucci.
The sector is struggling to pull out of a prolonged slump, weighed down by China's property crisis and economic uncertainty in the United States.
Top luxury houses are betting on new design direction to help rekindle interest from shoppers, who have pulled back on fashion as prices rise.
In his new role, Anderson succeeds Chiuri (61), who was recruited in 2016. The first female creative director at the label, Chiuri relayed feminist messages and showcased artwork at her runway shows, which featured modern renditions of house classics, including Dior's famous, nipped-waist bar jackets, adding fluidity and sometimes a sporty flair to feminine gowns.
