On Wednesday, Kim Jones, the Creative Director of Dior Menswear, announced he will be adding Artistic Director of womenswear, haute couture, and fur at Fendi to his title. That’s right, much like his successor Karl Lagerfeld, he will continue two roles at major fashion houses, his role at Dior on top of adding the Italian fashion house under his belt, which is also under the LVMH umbrella, the largest luxury goods conglomerate in the world.
Kim Jones will be the first person to step in to design for Fendi since Karl Lagerfeld who was at the helm of Fendi from 1965 to his death last year.
“I am thrilled to welcome Kim Jones at Fendi,”Serge Brunschwicg, Fendi’s Chairman and CEO, wrote in a press release. “Kim is one of the most talented and relevant designers of today. With Silvia Venturini Fendi, who has virtuously carried on Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy, Kim will bring his contemporary one-of-a-kind point of view into the world of Fendi.”
The fashion crowd jumped on the announcement, and are excited to see how Jones applies his signature mix of streetwear with tailoring that was first seen with his work at Louis Vuitton to appeal to a younger and “cooler” demographic. If you aren’t super familiar with his work, he was the brains behind the Louis Vuitton x Supreme collaboration as well as the Nike collaborations with Jordans, at Dior. In other words, he knows how to make high fashion fun, cool, and accessible for men and women.
Although a great talent with a track record of keeping aged fashion houses relevant, some fashion experts were skeptical about the appointment of another white male designer in a time where people are calling for diversity in higher leadership roles, especially in the luxury market. His first time in womenswear, Kim Jones is no stranger to catering to the female customer. With longtime support by top models Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, and Kate Moss as close friends have already been wearing his menswear collections — which also give a non-gender-barrier aesthetic allowing both males and females to feel confident in the clothes.
One thing is for certain, we all will be on the edge of our (virtual?) seats for what’s to come! Kim Jones will present his first Fendi ready-to-wear collection for Fall/Winter 2021-22 season during Milan Fashion Week in February 2021.
