Rome — British designer Kim Jones has resigned from her position as artistic director of womenswear and couture at Fendi after four years, parent fashion group LVMH announced late Friday.
Jones, 45, took over from the late Karl Lagerfeld in charge of designing Fendi haute couture, ready-to-wear and furs in September 2020. He said he would now focus fully on his role as artistic director of Dior Men’s.
The designer has contributed significantly to Fendi’s creative legacy by seamlessly integrating Fendi’s historical heritage with a contemporary, cross-cultural aesthetic. LVMH said.
“Under his leadership, the Maison has reinvented its ready-to-wear and couture collections, offering a comprehensive and innovative approach to fashion that continually renews Fendi’s Italian codes,” he added.
LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault praised Jones as “an extremely talented designer who has brought his unique, multicultural vision to Fendi over the past four years.”
Fendi did not comment on his successor, but added that a ‘new creative structure’ for the brand would be announced in due course.
LVMH purchased Fendi’s stake from the Fendi family in 1999 and then became the sole owner of the brand in 2001. Fendi is currently LVMH’s fourth-largest fashion brand, after Louis Vuitton, Dior and Celine.
