Profile: Jonathan Anderson takes historic helm of French fashion house Dior

The world of shot makes regular headlines for immense money-spinning transfers arsenic fans eagerly expect what wonders players will bring to their team.

This week has seen 1 of nan biggest moves successful nan manner business pinch nan iconic French maison Dior now hoping Jonathan Anderson will liberally sprinkle his magic particulate astir its men's and women's collections to boost its fortunes.

For almost a decade, nan Northern Irish designer led nan LVMH-owned Spanish manner location Loewe – an unmitigated occurrence story, expanding nan brand’s yearly revenues fivefold.

Now, he steps into a historical domiciled astatine Dior, becoming nan first personification since Christian Dior himself to service arsenic its sole imaginative director.

It’s a awesome infinitesimal for nan 40-year-old designer, whose travel began acold from nan runways of Paris. Born successful Magherafelt, a mini municipality successful Northern Ireland, Anderson near location astatine 18 to prosecute acting successful nan US. He later changed people and returned to Europe. Drawing connected his puerility passion for theatre and costume, he decided to study astatine nan London College of Fashion, wherever he graduated.

Influencer

Last year, Anderson was named 1 of nan 100 astir influential group by Time magazine, praising “his innate knowing of really manner and quality behaviour intertwine” and really “his activity is ever up of nan curve”.

His consciousness of taste timing has been noticeable passim nan years.

Think backmost to February 2020, conscionable earlier nan world unopen down, Harry Styles was rehearsing for nan Today show successful a colourful, patchwork JW Anderson cardigan. The knitted sweater quickly went viral connected TikTok, wherever users began crocheting their ain versions – unaware of conscionable really overmuch clip lockdown would soon springiness them to cleanable their trade skills.

Another illustration is Rihanna’s headline-making gestation uncover astatine nan 2023 Super Bowl halftime show, wherever she wore a striking all-red jumpsuit and breastplate designed by Anderson. The bold look subtly confirmed her 2nd gestation to millions watching worldwide, creating a viral craze.

Or erstwhile Anderson decided to make past 87-year-old Dame Maggie Smith nan look of Loewe campaign, showing that manner doesn’t person an age.

Once successful a generation

In aVogue Business question and reply Dior CEO Delphine Arnault called him “the astir talented designer of his generation.” Praising his acquisition astatine Loewe and activity wrong nan group, Arnault added, “He has awesome acquisition managing ample teams, moreover though he is only 40. More importantly, he has a very clear imagination for nan brand.”

Anderson steps into nan domiciled pursuing erstwhile imaginative head for women's collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The Italian designer Grazia Chiuri was besides celebrated by Arnault for her “tremendous activity pinch an inspiring feminist position and exceptional creativity, each imbued pinch nan tone of Monsieur Dior, which allowed her to creation highly desirable collections.” Arnault said, “She has written a cardinal section successful nan history of Christian Dior, greatly contributing to its singular maturation and being nan first female to lead nan creation of women’s collections.”

Dressed for success

Anderson is competitory by quality – thing he whitethorn person inherited from his father, Willie Anderson, a erstwhile Ireland world rugby player. Anderson sees clear parallels betwixt sports and fashion, erstwhile telling The Independent: “Sportspeople are highly competitory – to win. And successful fashion, erstwhile you spot personification do thing brilliant, it drives you to do thing better… to support outdoing yourself".

His parents person ever been supportive. In an question and reply pinch The Irish News, they said, “They believed successful a kid who had monumental talent, and we were nan same. We saw thing successful Jonathan. And past we went astir ensuring successful his early days that we could thief him fulfil his dream. You’ll do thing for your kid if you judge their dream is not thing that’s beyond them.”

His begetter Willie moreover admitted that he and Anderson's mother Heather “re-mortgaged nan location to effort and get him done definite points.”

In 2008, he launched his eponymous label, JW Anderson, successful which LVMH acquired a number liking successful 2013. In 2015, JW Anderson made history astatine nan British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards by becoming nan first location to triumph some Menswear and Womenswear Brand of nan Year successful nan aforesaid year.

The marque is known for blurring nan statement betwixt men’s and womenswear, often branded androgynous aliases gender-bending, though Anderson himself prefers nan word "unisex".

Thankfully for his parents and their home, Anderson has much than delivered.