Finally, after a few months of rumors, it's official. On Monday, LVMH unveiled Jonathan Anderson, a designer who transformed Lowe into a cultural Lodestar, one of the most talked about names of LVMH stability from minor Spanish leather homes and one of the most talked about names of LVMH stability, a favorite of Daniel Craig, Greta Lee and Josh O'Connor.
Sidney Toledano, CEO of LVMH Fashion Group, spoke about Anderson in a news release. “He will build a rich, eclectic world, build a strong foundation for crafts, allowing the home to flourish ever since his departure.”
It was not revealed where Anderson would go next, and who would replace him. Cliffhanger!
not much.
Planned designer moves have been leaking like sieves since last fall. Things can always change, but it is widely accepted that Proenza Schuler American founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who resigned from the label in January, will take Anderson's place in Lowe. Anderson is expected to move to Dior, where he will likely take the reins of both women and men's clothing, the first designer to unite two halves of the house for decades.
The mystery isn't what happens next. Mystery is why it takes so long and is so public. Even in the world of doge where shooting appears to be everyday news, and in the world where designer changes began to look like the norm, this was a painful procedure.
While enjoying playing fashion equivalents to fantasy football, it is easy to forget that the designers involved are human and not chess pieces, and are with the responsible team of human beings. Dior has Maria Grazia Ciuri, a designer of women's clothing.
Chiuli, 61, was the first woman to lead Dior in about 80 years, and was one of the few women on the head of the Megalakshley brand. In her nine years as an artistic director of women's clothing, she helped raise the brand from an estimated 2 billion euros to around 9 billion euros in revenue. She was also responsible for injecting feminist notes into the story, supporting women-led groups and artists around the world, especially in India. Given Chiuli's work, it could succumb to the ordinary and her politics (ibid.).
But in street words, Anderson, 40, has not only finished his Roay term, but is also working on the Shadow Dior collection, despite Chiuli continuing to work for himself. It seemed like a harbinger when Mikey Madison wore a 1956 Dior Gown remake at the Oscar, rather than the appearance of his current collection. The rumours have been so rampant that Kim Jones, a Dior boys designer since 2018, has urged him to step down after the last show, not in a state of uncertainty. (His position is not fulfilled, giving Anderson credibility to the idea of taking over both sides of the business.)
And the rumours polled not only on Chiuli's couture and her ready-made show this month in January, but also on Anderson's Lowe presentation. “Was it the last time or wasn't it?” was just as part of the reaction to the show as the design itself. It is difficult to commit to a designer's vision when it is unclear whether there is a commitment to the designer himself or whether it is from the designer himself.
Of course, there is an expanded ambiguity that is partly possible that Chiuli is doing. She could be in the midst of long-term contract negotiations about what shape her departure will take. It is generally believed that her cruise show will be her farewell in May, in her hometown of Rome. LVMH declined to comment on why the transition was so long, or why the news was released in fragments. Sometimes refusing to deal with rumors is the best way to erase them.
However, this time it's not the case. This time, the rumors have simply become accepted. That's hard to not question why everyone involved simply didn't admit the truth. Even if it appears at an inconvenient time, it's better to move forward. It would have cast Chiuli's final Dior collection and Anderson's final final at the Lowe as a group rather than question marks. It would have made the change exciting, not anti-climax.
After all, if fashion reveals something, it means that closure and transparency have something chic in its own way.
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