LVMH abruptly puts Dior Men in Jonathan Anderson’s hands (2025)

NEW YORK – On April 17, one of the worst-kept secrets in the fashion industry was confirmed in a brief, unceremonious manner. At least part of it.

During a shareholder meeting, Mr Bernard Arnault, chief executive of the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton luxury goods empire, let fly that former Loewe designer Jonathan Anderson would officially be stepping in as the head menswear designer at Dior.

In a terse, one-sentence statement, the brand confirmed that Anderson had been named artistic director of its men’s collections and that his first show for the label would be presented on June 27 in Paris. It did not include any quotes from Mr Arnault or Anderson, furthering speculation that there was more to the story.

Anderson has long been rumoured to be taking over not just Dior Men, but also its women’s line. For now, Italian Maria Grazia Chiuri is still, officially, the label’s womenswear designer. She presented her autumn collection for the brand in Kyoto, Japan, on April 15, and is slated to present her 2026 cruise show in Rome, her hometown, in May.

The truncated announcement for Anderson comes as LVMH broadly is feeling the pressure. This week, it reported a 3 per cent year-over-year sales dip, caused by slipping sales in Asia and the United States (though the declines are heftiest in its liquor businesses), sending its stock down around 8 per cent. Dior, in particular, was said by LVMH chief financial officer Cecile Cabanis to have performed below average.

At the shareholder meeting, Mr Arnault announced Anderson’s appointment in response to a question from an investor, and it may have been an attempt to quell investor fears that the brand was not doing enough to right the ship. Still, it adds to the impression that LVMH, the world’s largest luxury company, is handling news about its loftiest jobs in a reactive, piecemeal manner, in which the rumour mill is often well ahead of official announcements.

What is certain is that Anderson, 40, had been floating around as somewhat of a free agent in the fashion world since he stepped down as creative director at Loewe, owned by LVMH, in March. The Ireland-born designer spent 11 years at the Spanish company, transforming it from a snoozy leather goods brand into a destination for whimsical, haute creations. Still, its market share remained well below that of Dior or Louis Vuitton, the princely jewels of the LVMH empire.

His departure from the brand, without his next job nor his successor announced, sent the fashion world spinning that Anderson was heading to loftier heights. In March, LVMH confirmed that Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, formerly of the New York label Proenza Schouler, would be taking the helm at Loewe.

At Loewe, Anderson showed he could check all the boxes for a modern, creative director. His runway shows had become fantastical, near-Seussian displays – trousers pleated like a curtain in a Broadway theatre, feathered headpieces and clothes made of clay. They mesmerised and, occasionally, polarised audiences. At the same time, he displayed a crackerjack commercial sense – particularly on the men’s side of Loewe’s stores, which were heavy on everyday leather jackets, pebbled leather loafers and well-cut sweaters.

Anderson also skilfully courted celebrities – something that will surely matter for him at Dior. Stars such as British actor Daniel Craig and American actress Greta Lee filled the Loewe front rows and appeared in its advertisements. Anderson made inroads in Hollywood, designing costumes for director Luca Guadagnino’s films Challengers (2024) and Queer (2024). Whether the designer will continue this time-consuming side hustle is unclear.

At Dior, Anderson succeeds British designer Kim Jones, who spent seven years as Dior Men’s creative director before departing abruptly in January, just days after his final show. NYTIMES