How Will Jonathan Anderson Fit Into His New Role At Dior Homme?

Forbes

29-04-2025

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29: Fashion designer Jonathan Anderson walks the runway during the Loewe ... More Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show as part of the Paris Fashion Week on September 29, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
The fashion world has been playing musical chairs over the past few months, with many houses experiencing some of the shortest creative director tenures to date. Designers are leaving long-standing roles to take up positions at rival luxury brands. It started with a new appointment at Maison Margiela, followed by departures from Proenza Schouler, and most notably, Donatella Versace stepping down after 27 years at the helm of Versace. Now, the shake-ups are even more surprising—Demna, formerly of Balenciaga, is heading to Gucci, while Loewe's Jonathan Anderson is moving to Dior Men.
Jonathan Anderson, best known for his acclaimed tenure at Loewe, carved out a distinct design language rooted in a fascination with kitschy, mismatched craft. His work blurred the lines between haute couture and camp, delivering a refined yet fantastical aesthetic. Anderson frequently experimented with silhouette, played with odd proportions, and embraced contradiction—often creating pieces that felt both subversive and whimsical. This vision was evident in his now-iconic "Minnie Mouse" heels, or the "Toy Pump," which distorted the foot's form to mimic the exaggerated shape of Minnie's footwear. It also shown through the surreal Red Balloon leather heels and the life-sized anthurium flower dress worn by Taylor Russell on the cover of Dazed's The Beautiful Issue, Winter 2022. For a time, through Anderson's lens, fashion became a space for fantasy.
Taylor Russell for Dazed Magazine
Jonathan Anderson is, by nature, a reserved figure in personality. After his shows, he often forgoes the traditional designer walk, rarely speaks to press, and offers little access to the behind-the-scenes process. His personal style is equally understated—typically just a T-shirt and jeans, even post-show. 'It's taken me many years to try to put myself out in front of the camera because I think part of me likes to be the puppeteer behind the scenes,' he told Fashion Neurosis. Yet, his designs have always stood in contrast to that quiet demeanor.
Will we see a tenure akin to Jacquemus, one that redefines French style by merging the refined tastes of older generations with the playful, romantic sensibilities of their younger counterparts—introducing softer tones and unexpected color into formal silhouettes? Or will Anderson upend Dior's aesthetic entirely, pushing men's fashion into a new, uncharted era? As he noted in a 2015 interview with Numéro, 'The idea of codes is obsolete because audiences get bored within 24 hours. Today, we must entertain—that's the challenge across all industries.'
It seems increasingly likely that Anderson will bring a singular, deeply personal perspective to Dior Men—perhaps echoing the legacy of Hedi Slimane, a former creative director of Dior Homme. 'I love a blank sheet each time,' Anderson told Vogue. 'There are some people I really admire. If you look at Phoebe [Philo], or Hedi [Slimane], or Helmut Lang, where there is a very tight aesthetic—I really appreciate that.' This suggests a possible direction: refined but not overly tailored, personal yet elevated, embracing modernity while honoring the classics—a fluid blend that dissolves the strict boundaries between traditional menswear codes.
He elaborated further, referencing the evolution of cultural dynamics: 'Andy Warhol birthed this idea of pop culture that ultimately younger people are consuming, and the hierarchies are different now. In fact, you realise that all these hierarchies are starting to disappear through inter-pollination.' Anderson's Dior may not be about rewriting the rules, but rather blurring them—creating a space where personal expression and house heritage coexist.