Editor’s Note
In a candid reflection at the WWD x SJ Global Fashion and Business Conference, Kim Jones—a defining force in fashion for nearly 20 years—spoke about the natural evolution of creative drive. Even for industry leaders, the pursuit of new challenges and fresh chapters remains essential. This article explores the balance between legacy and renewal in a dynamic career.
For the better part of the last two decades, Kim Jones has been one of the movers and shakers of fashion. But even the most thrilling of rides eventually become grueling routine, as the British designer told the WWD x SJ Global Fashion and Business Conference in Hong Kong, hosted in partnership with the Hong Kong Fashion Council.
It’s a fair assessment of the heady pace he’s kept since he ended a three-year stint at Dunhill in 2011 and was appointed men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, his first position at marquee brands owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Named artistic director of ready-to-wear and accessory collections of Dior Homme in 2018, he took on two years later the role of artistic director of haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections for women at Fendi, leading both in parallel for the next four years.
Eventually, a desire for change built up to the leap he and Lucy Beeden, who has been Jones’ right hand of 20 years, took last year.
For this new one, the designer is taking a careful, selective approach to whittle down projects to those who “fit into what works with Kim Jones as a brand or studio,” as he put it. These span a capsule with a sustainable slant with the Aman luxury hospitality group, a collaboration with Chinese electric carmaker Avatrand and, most recently, the Areal premium line he launched with Chinese down outerwear specialist Bosideng.
If Asia is the backdrop for a number of these projects, that’s because it’s a territory that resonates with him deeply, not because it’s the center of gravity for much of the luxury industry.
In a nutshell:
On top of that, the region is where it’s happening — and will continue to happen — in his opinion.
It also makes sense from a personal perspective. During his Dior tenure, 60 percent of sales were in the region, according to Jones. Fans of his work are aplenty and he loves “the people, the food, the culture” right back.
Take all the potential offered by the region’s manufacturing innovation, material developments and growing sustainable chops. Paired with his observation of how younger generations feel they can no longer afford traditional luxury, “it was making me think there’s a gap to fill,” he said.
What guides him through these projects, regardless of whether they come with a rich archive or are blank pages, is his understanding of consumers and the central role they play in determining how a brand endures.
A key learning of his experiences at major houses is how to offer objects, be it clothes or cars, that slot right into the lifestyle of the target consumer. Such an approach works well in Asia, where luxury shoppers are among the most savvy and sophisticated in the world, quick to assess whether a brand justifies its positioning.
Rather than viewing that scrutiny as a challenge, Jones feels it is in step with his own creative track and interests. The region’s manufacturing innovation and material developments are building its growing sustainability chops, an area he looked keen to explore. Asked what comes next for him, the designer sounded open to the possibilities and opportunities offered by his changed life-work balance.
