Friday afternoon in Paris was a big one for the British designer Kim Jones. Not only did the artistic director present Dior’s latest menswear collection, he also put together the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, a rarity for someone from outside France. In a fashion moment par excellence, the award was presented to him by Anna Wintour, becoming a knight in the process.
Jones was in Dior For six years, he designed the brand’s menswear collections. During that time, he explored the brand’s rich archive and also personal interests, including TS Eliot’s Waste Land and Vanessa Bell’s House Charleston in East Sussex. This show was no different. It took Christian Dior’s Ligne H collection in the mid-1950s, but it made Casanova—the 18th-century Italian author known for his multiple affairs with women—a muse.
If Casanova is often viewed as a “ladies’ man,” Jones played with that phrase in terms of gender fluidity. The gallery notes explained that it was translated as “a mixture of masculine and feminine… with the excesses of the eighteenth century, found in the idea of the extravagant wardrobe.” Tropes that might traditionally be seen as part of the lexicon of women’s clothing – sparkles, pink, bows, boat bows and long skirts – were worn by men here. It was an elegant collection with a dash of subversion.
Dior was also in the spotlight behind Paris this week – in a context where any notion of gender fluidity is given short shrift. Ivanka Trump wore an outfit from the women’s collection (designed by Maria Grata Chiuri) to streamline her father, Donald Trump; The new First Lady, Melania, wore Dior to a reception over the weekend. LVMH, Dior’s parent company, has given its allegiance to TTRump: CEO Bernard Arnault was present at his inauguration, along with two of Arnault’s children, Delphine (CEO of Dior) and Alexandre, who works with Tiffany Trump.
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Jones announced in October that he was leaving his other fashion role, where he designed womenswear and couture at Fendi. A post-show bow at Dior, including a hug for Delphine Arnault in the front row, has people speculating change might be afoot here, too. With fashion’s rumor mill about top work at luxury houses including Gucci, barbaric And Margiela, Jones’ name was in the frame, especially for Burberry, which has not flourished under the current artistic director, Daniel Lee.
Kim Jones would be a perfect fit in Burberry,” wrote influencer Instagram account Boring.com, following the Fendi announcement, “but I doubt LVMH will let him go so easily or if they can even afford him now.”
The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honor, France’s highest honor, has previously been awarded to major fashion players including Valentino Garavani and Diane von Furstenberg, as well as Delphine. Before the ceremony, Jones called it a “life milestone,” though he said the notoriety wasn’t the end all be all.
“I’ve been stopped by people [in the street] “That’s always nice, but I generally prefer to have access to my daily life,” Jones said.
With speculation swirling, there’s no doubt he wants to put the rumors to rest and get on with the job, whatever that job may be.
