The history-making appointment sees Jonathan Anderson as the label’s first sole creative director since founder Christian Dior himself.
Change has come to Dior. And it’s not just any change, not just another upper-tier reshuffle.
In less than a week, the French luxury fashion label said goodbye to artistic director for women’s wear Maria Grazia Chiuri, and welcomed Jonathan Anderson as creative director of Dior for women’s wear, men’s wear and couture.
It looks like the 78-year-old maison has entered a new, exciting era.
Chiuri: Nine successful, transformative years
The 60-year-old Rome-born fashion designer is the first woman to lead Dior’s women’s collections since its founding in 1947. Her exit marks the end of nine years at the storied French atelier. The social media savvy Chiuri made the announcement on her Instagram account two days after her Dior Cruise 2026 show, held in her birthplace and hometown, and her last for the label. (The POST reported on the capsule, which you can read here.)
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In the post, she thanked LVMH owner Bernard Arnault and daughter Delphine, the chair and chief executive of Dior, for their trust and support. “I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers. Their talent and expertise allowed me to realize my vision of committed women’s fashion, in close dialogue with several generations of female artists,″ she continued. “Together, we have written a remarkable and impactful chapter, of which I am immensely proud.”
Since Chiuri’s appointment in 2016, she led Dior through a transformative era marked by commercial and cultural success. Revenue reportedly rose by nearly $8 billion from 2017 to 2023, per a report on the Associated Press, as her vision of female empowerment resonated with a new generation of clients.
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Anderson: A history-making appointment
Anderson’s appointment, meanwhile, is history-making for the brand. The last time there was just one designer to oversee all three branches was when Christian Dior did it himself. Anderson then is not only Dior’s eighth creative director, but is only the second to hold complete creative control of the fashion house since the eponymous founder. The New York Times sees it as more than just a changing of the guard, but quite possibly a paradigm shift—though this remains to be seen.
Delphine Arnault said in a rare interview with Business of Fashion that she considers Anderson as “the most talented designer of his generation.” Her father, Bernard, in a separate statement echoed the same sentiment, saying, “Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation. His incomparable artistic signature will be a crucial asset in writing the next chapter of the history of the House of Dior.”
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In the BOF interview, Delphine added that what caught her attention was Anderson’s deft management of his team at Loewe, describing it as “remarkable.” “At Loewe, the team isn’t as large, but he’s proved he knows how to build and manage teams, how to bring people together, and how to choose the right collaborators. It’s a gift.”
She also described Anderson as “very loyal,” citing his 11 successful years at the Spanish maison despite “many [other] propositions.” “For all these reasons he’s the perfect choice for Dior,” she said.
“It is a great honor to join the house of Dior as creative director of both women’s and men’s collections,” Anderson said for his part. “I have always been inspired by the rich history of this house, its depth, and empathy.”
A herculean task awaits Anderson. Revenue-wise, Dior is about four times the size of Loewe, meaning his new job comes with more responsibilities. From designing nine collections per year at Loewe, he’ll move on to 10 collections per year at Dior, including, for his first time, two haute couture collections.
This is on top of his duties at his own label, JW Anderson, where he will continue to design six collections per year, according to the brand’s chief executive, Jenny Galimberti. Then there’s also the ongoing JW Anderson collaboration with Uniqlo, which is another two collections per year.
That’s a total of 18 collections per year, per BOF, meaning Anderson is set to become the industry’s most prolific, multi-tasking designer since Karl Lagerfeld.
Anderson, however, is most certainly up to the task. Despite being still relatively young, he already boasts a stellar portfolio in the world of luxury fashion. He is largely credited for transforming Loewe from a low-key heritage brand into one of the luxury industry’s most coveted, culturally relevant labels which rakes in annual revenues estimated at $2 billion. His iconic Puzzle bag, which celebrates its 10 anniversary this year, is considered a modern classic.
It was confirmed in April that the 40-year-old Anderson was to become the artistic director of menswear. Dior, however, will skip the haute couture shows in July, meaning we won’t get a glimpse of his vision for womenswear until October 1.
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