Kris Van Assche is stepping down as creative director of Dior Homme after an eleven year tenure. Kim Jones, previously the men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton, will be his successor. Jones left his post at Vuitton in January.
“After 11 years at Dior Homme, my mind and heart filled with experiences, I am leaving this beautiful house to pursue new challenges,” Van Assche said in a statement to Business of Fashion. “I wish to thank Bernard Arnault for the trust he placed in me, Sidney Toledano and Serge Brunschwig for their warm welcome at Dior and their continuous support during all those years.”
Kim Jones added: “I am deeply honored to join the house of Dior, a symbol of the ultimate elegance. I would like to warmly thank Bernard Arnault and Pietro Beccari for their trust in giving me this incredible opportunity. I am committed to create a modern and innovative male silhouette built upon the unique legacy of the house.” Jones will present his first collection for the brand in June during Paris men’s fashion week.
The creative shakeup is the first major move by Pietro Beccari, the newly appointed chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture. Beccari recently took the reins of both Dior’s men’s and women’s business after longtime Dior chief executive Sidney Toledano and Dior Homme chief executive Serge Brunschwig both recently left the company.
“I am delighted to welcome Kim Jones at Dior Homme. He will benefit from the support of the teams and from the ‘savoir-faire’ of the ateliers to create an elegant men’s wardrobe both classic and anchored in contemporary culture. I am confident that he will continue to further develop Dior Homme on a global scale,” Beccari told Business of Fashion. “I thank Kris Van Assche for contributing to the amazing growth of Dior Homme by creating an elegant and contemporary silhouette for men. He wrote an important chapter in the history of Dior Homme and played a key role in its development.”
