While some of our sources close to the company tell us that Maria Grazia Chiuri would be in pole position to become the new creative director of Fendi’s Women’s division, as of today, Kim Jones is no longer the creative director of Dior Homme. Jones had arrived at Dior in 2018, after a long experience at Louis Vuitton. In 2020, he replaced Karl Lagerfeld at the head of Fendi’s women’s division. A position vacated in October last year. And still vacant. But ready to be filled. Maria Grazia Chiuri, in fact, is about to sign to become the new creative director of Fendi’s haute couture and women’s prêt-à-porter lines. The Roman designer would thus leave Dior, which she had led since July 2016, since LVMH had chosen her to revive one of the iconic brands of French fashion.
Jones’s career
Prior to his appointment at Dior, Jones was artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men from 2011 to 2018. In January 2018, the creative exited Louis Vuitton and, after rumours about his possible approach to Burberry, arrived at Dior. In September 2020, Kim Jones gave an encore: he became the creative director of Fendi’s women’s line. He thus takes over from Karl Lagerfeld, who led the Roman brand from 1965 until his death. For the first time, Jones thus ventured into haute couture and women’s ready-to-wear, working alongside Silvia Venturini Fendi for the men’s and accessories collections. He then left Fendi last October.
A return to his origins
As we also read in an article in Il Foglio, in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Parisian studio the boxes are already packed, with LVMH engaged in a risk around the creative director. Chiuri began her career in fashion in 1989, in Fendi’s accessories team together with designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, with whom she also shared the subsequent creative direction at Valentino. Together they revolutionised the world of accessories, making them objects of desire, perhaps more important than the clothes themselves.
At Fendi, the creative duo contributed to the creation of one of the most iconic bags ever: the Baguette. In 1999, Valentino Garavani called them both to work on the Roman brand’s bag and eyewear collections. He then entrusted them with the REDValentino line. After Garavani retired in 2007, and after a brief interlude entrusted to Alessandra Facchinetti, the two became co-creative directors of the brand in 2008, overseeing womenswear, menswear and haute couture. In 2016, the two part ways: Pierpaolo Piccioli remains at Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri arrives at Dior instead, becoming the first woman at the helm of the Parisian maison.
What would Chiuri do?
Chiuri would then work alongside Silvia Venturini Fendi, who is in charge of the men’s division and leather goods, the third generation of the Roman brand, again owned by LVMH. In recent months rumours about a possible move away from Dior have intensified. If Chiuri’s exit is confirmed, the names pool will be reopened as to who will take her place. Perhaps Anderson? But that would also free up the position at Loewe’s.
IG profile images of Chiuri and Jones
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