Why Jonathan Anderson was the right choice for Dior

French luxury retailer Dior has a new creative director in charge.

With Jonathan Anderson’s appointment, the Northern Irish designer, best known for transforming Loewe with his artful designs and a strong emphasis on craftsmanship, makes history as the first designer after Christian Dior himself to oversee all of Dior’s men’s, women’s, and haute couture collections.

While there is little to cast doubt on Anderson’s ability as a designer, the question is: Why was he the right choice to take on the storied reins at Dior?

“This isn’t just a creative hire; it’s a fundamental restructuring,” Nora Kleinewillinghoefer, partner and North America lead for fashion and luxury in Kearney’s Consumer practice, told Retail Brew via email. “By unifying all lines under Anderson, Dior is leaning toward brand coherence over specialized expertise, which is a smart operational move that could deliver significant efficiencies.”

His own legacy as a designer, both at Loewe and his eponymous label, JW Anderson, is marked by iconic pieces like the Loewe Puzzle bag, gender-fluid aesthetics, and surrealist and sculptural runway presentations. Moreover, Anderson’s collaborations with celebrities such as Harry Styles and director Luca Guadagnino—best known for Call Me By Your Name and Challengers—has further cemented him as an instrumental influence in the global fashion landscape.

“This signals LVMH’s belief that consumers want cohesive brand experiences, not siloed categories,” Kleinewillinghoefer said. “Anderson’s track record of maintaining brand DNA while driving cross-category synergies makes him uniquely suited for this challenge.”

There is perhaps little downside to having Anderson on board as far as Dior sees it for now. But for a historic brand such as Dior, Kleinewillinghoefer believes the designer will need a bit more than talent and influence to make a long-term impact.

“Creative directors at top fashion houses must be both a guardian and revolutionary—preserving the DNA that makes the brand unmistakable while pushing boundaries that keep it relevant for the next generation of luxury consumers,” she said. “The modern creative director must think beyond the atelier and the runway. Every collection must work as beautifully in an Instagram story as it does in a Vogue editorial. The customer journey now begins and ends in the digital space.”