After some months of speculation, it has been confirmed this morning that Kim Jones is to leave his role as the artistic director of Dior’s menswear line, seven years after his appointment.
’It was a true honour to have been able to create my collections within the house of Dior, a symbol of absolute excellence,’ said Jones in a statement. ‘I express my deep gratitude to my studio and the ateliers who have accompanied me on this wonderful journey. They have brought my creations to life.’
Kim Jones is leaving Dior Men
A look from Kim Jones’ A/W 2025 collection, which would be his last
He also thanked ‘the artists and friends I have met through my collaborations’, a hallmark of his tenure. These spanned the artists Hajime Sorayama, KAWS and Hylton Nel, and figures like Shawn Stüssy, Lewis Hamilton and Yoon-Anh, among many others. ‘Lastly, I feel sincere gratitude towards Bernard and Delphine Arnault, who have given me their full support.’
Jones began his tenure at Dior in 2018, having previously been creative director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line. His collections were an immediate commercial and critical success, seeing Jones translate Christian Dior’s haute couture – which was designed for women – into sleek and contemporary menswear. His first collection saw him introduce the Tailleur Oblique suit, based on a wrapped, single-breasted design first created by the house founder in the 1950s.
One of Jones’ couture creations for the house, as photographed in the Wallpaper* September 2024 Style Issue
He has also riffed on the nipped-waist Bar Jacket, and revived the Saddle Bag of John Galliano’s tenure. Looking back into the Dior archive was ‘common sense’, he told Wallpaper* after revealing his first couture line for men in 2024, which was inspired by the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. ‘I look at it because of the purity, and it’s also very much rooted in menswear.’
His final collection, shown earlier this month during Paris Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2025, saw him attempt to return to the ‘quintessence’ of Christian Dior, drawing inspiration from the ‘graphic and angular’ lines of the house’s Ligne H collection, presented in the mid-1950s. ‘While a lot refers to the history of fashion, this is not historical fashion,’ he said. ‘Ultimately, in this collection, we wanted to say something about now.’ Later that day, he would receive the French Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian decoration.
Jones’ collaboration with Lewis Hamilton, released in 2024
‘I am extremely grateful for the remarkable work done by Kim Jones, his studio, and the ateliers,’ adds Delphine Arnault, chief executive officer of Christian Dior. ‘With all his talent and creativity, he has constantly reinterpreted the house’s heritage with genuine freedom of tone and surprising, highly desirable artistic collaborations.’ As yet, Jones’ replacement is yet to be announced.
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