Kim Jones Succeeds Karl Lagerfeld As Artistic Director Of Fendi

Editor's Note: This article was updated to include Kim Jones' official debut collection date for Fendi.

It's official: Announced on Wednesday, Kim Jones will succeed Karl Largerfeld and is taking over the reins at Fendi. The British designer will serve as women's artistic director of Fendi’s haute couture, ready-to-wear, and fur collections. Jones is also maintaining his role as artistic director of Dior Homme, which he took on in 2018 after a seven-year stint designing for Louis Vuitton's menswear line.

"Working across two such prestigious houses is a true honor as a designer and to be able to join the house of Fendi as well as continuing my work at Dior Men's is a huge privilege," Jones said in an official statement.

Jones will work alongside Silvia Venturini Fendi, who has been the driving creative force of Fendi since Lagerfeld's death in February 2019. Fendi will continue to design the accessories and menswear collections.

"Kim Jones is a great talent and since joining, he has continuously proven his ability to adapt to the codes and heritage of the LVMH houses while revisiting them with great modernity and audacity," said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer at LVMH in an official statement. "At Fendi, I am convinced that his vision and passion will highly contribute to the success of the women’s collections."

When he was announced to join Fendi in September, Jones was expected to show his first Fendi collection in February 2021 during Milan Fashion Week. But now the French luxury brand revealed on Monday, Dec. 14, that Jones will debut a couture collection in January 2021 in Paris. According to WWD, this marks Jones’ first women’s and couture collection ever, as well as the first time spring/summer couture collection for Fendi.