Fashion industry faces turmoil as Anderson exits Loewe

British designer Jonathan Anderson has left Spanish brand Loewe after over a decade at the helm, owner LVMH announced Monday. The 40-year-old is tipped to take over at Dior.

The move is part of a major reshuffling of top jobs at global fashion brands after a round of resignations and forced departures.

The industry faces increasingly tricky market conditions, with a slowdown in China and an escalating trade war causing concern.

"Under his direction, Loewe experienced exceptional growth and established itself as a pioneer in presenting a modern vision of luxury fashion and culture," a statement about Anderson from Loewe said.

With LVMH's backing, the designer from Northern Ireland has redefined the Spanish heritage brand since 2013, elevating it from a modest luxury label to one of the most innovative and impactful names in fashion.

Its runway shows are now a meeting place for A-list cinema and music stars, including Timothee Chalamet, Pedro Almodovar, and Tilda Swinton.

Anderson also created sparkling body-hugging outfits for Beyonce's 2023 Renaissance tour. He dressed Rihanna for her Superbowl performance the same year in a red ensemble that showed off her pregnancy bump.

One of his most defining contributions to Loewe was launching the leather Puzzle bag in 2015. It was the brand's first new bag in decades and became a top seller based on its geometric shape.

"Looking back, I’ve come to realize that a brand is not built on the first show, or even a first year of shows; it’s built slowly season upon season, year upon year, on what is right for a brand," he wrote on Instagram.

'Very best'

The designer has been repeatedly linked to LVMH-owned Dior, where creative director for menswear Kim Jones quit at the end of January, and womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri is seen as on the way out.

One scenario is that Anderson might take over both sides of the business, and its growth would be crucial financially and dynastically for LVMH owner Bernard Arnault.

He placed his daughter Delphine in charge of Dior in February 2023.

Anderson trained at the London College of Fashion and began his career in Prada’s marketing department before launching his brand, JW Anderson, in 2008.

He had initially dreamed of becoming an actor and, at age 18, moved to the United States to enroll in a drama school.

"I have had the pleasure of working with some of the great artistic directors of recent times, and I consider Jonathan Anderson to be amongst the very best," Sidney Toledano, an LVMH veteran who now heads the French Fashion Institute, said in the Loewe statement.

Last Thursday, French luxury group Kering announced that Balenciaga creative director Demna would move to chief designer at fellow fashion label Gucci, whose sales have plummeted over the last year.

He replaced Sabato de Sarno, whom Gucci let go in February after two years on the job.

Other labels that bring in new designers or seek fresh talent include Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Carven, Celine, Fendi, Givenchy, Dries Van Noten, Tom Ford, and Martin Margiela.