Kim Jones Exits Fendi After Four Years Leading Womenswear
Since succeeding Karl Lagerfeld, the British designer is now parting ways with Fendi after four years. He will continue designing men's collections for Dior.
Kim Jones and Fendi announced today that the former is stepping down as creative director of Fendi's women's ready-to-wear and haute couture collections, a role he has held since 2020. Jones, who will continue as artistic director of Dior Men's collections, has left a significant mark on the Roman fashion house. Taking over from Karl Lagerfeld, he fused his contemporary aesthetic with the historical codes of Fendi — preparing to celebrate its centenary in 2025 — and the aesthetic universe created by Lagerfeld from 1965 until his death, making the atelier one of the most important companies in the fashion system. During his four years at the helm of the house, Fendi has also produced couture collections.
Kim Jones’ work at Colosseo Quadrato has been marked by collaborations with key figures at the fashion house, such as Silvia Venturini Fendi and her daughter Delfina Delettrez Fendi, the house's jewellery creative director. Under his creative leadership, he has overseen major collaborations, such as the “Fendace” project with Versace in 2021, which marked a groundbreaking moment in fashion, and a collaboration with Marc Jacobs in 2022. During his tenure, Fendi has reportedly seen its revenues nearly triple to over €2 billion, a result that reflects the pragmatic (and aesthetically driven, sales-driven) approach Jones has taken.
Jones' exit from Fendi comes at a time of great change for the fashion industry, with several fashion houses having to deal with the end of their creative directors' contracts, and others having been without a key designer for a few months, including Chanel. After Alessandro Michele's arrival at Valentino and Sarah Burton's arrival at Givenchy, gossip bouncing between Milan and Paris says that Kim Jones' departure from Fendi could pave the way for Pierpaolo Piccioli or John Galliano — the latter is said to be leaving Maison Margiela this month.
Bernard Arnault, chairman of the French group LVMH, of which Fendi has been a part since 2001, praised "the unique talent and multicultural vision that Jones has brought to Fendi," wishing him the best in his work with Dior's menswear line. The luxury house and the LVMH group thanked Jones for his contribution and said that the new creative structure would be announced soon.
