Jonathan Anderson Revolutionized LOEWE. What’s Next?
The worst-kept secret in fashion has been confirmed: Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of LOEWE, has officially departed his post.
After around a year of industry murmurs, a tear-filled runway finale, and a not-so-cryptic Instagram post, the cat is out of the bag. The 40-year-old Anderson is finally a free agent. (there are strong whispers of a Dior job with his name on it, but more on that later).
Andeson, two-time winner of The Fashion Awards’ Designer of the Year and the CFDA’s 2023 International Designer of the Year, has revolutionized Spanish luxury house LOEWE in his 11-year stint as its creative director.
Founded by Spanish craftsmen in 1846 as a leathermaking collective, the LVMH-owned LOEWE long lived in a craft-conscious niche without really crossing over into the ready-to-wear space, a fact Anderson playfully highlighted in a 2024 spelling bee-themed campaign video.
However, through Anderson’s creative ingenuity, LOEWE has long enjoyed mainstream success.
The designer played a considered balancing act in his tenure at LOEWE, anchoring semi-wearably surreal experiments with covetable accessories and statement pieces, like handbags and logo-stitched jeans, that proved to be commercial hits.
Ample runway spectacles — real-life Minecraft clothes! A botanical experiment with grass growing from the designs! My Polly Pocket clothes for adults! — made LOEWE become one of the most exciting names on the fashion week calendar, demonstrating both Anderson's ingenuity and a savvy skill for capturing the public imagination, earning LOEWE acclaim (and crucial brand awareness) all the while.
Anderson’s dreamy design language was so distinct that it got to the point where something as ordinary as an odd-looking tomato could be described as “so LOEWE.” This sort of fame comes with some serious commercial savvy.
In 2023, the brand increased its annual profit by more than 60%. And in Q2 2024, LYST named LOEWE the hottest brand in the world, citing its anagram tank top, basket bags, and collaborative On sneakers as the keys to its success.
Longstanding rumors posited that LOEWE-owners LVMH were ready to promote Anderson to Dior, one of the biggest houses under its vast umbrella.
Dior is currently without a menswear designer following Kim Jones’ exit last month. Maria Grazia Chiuri remains the head of womenswear but there are whispers that her Dior Fall/Winter 2025 collection, presented earlier this month, was her last.
It's all hearsay for now, mind you. But Anderson's departure from LOEWE is only going to fuel speculation.
It would be quite the step up for Anderson, possibly the only way that he could actually move up from where he already stands.
The critical and commercial wins Anderson has notched at LOEWE, his eponymous label, and even at mass-market retailer UNIQLO have granted him the respect of the industry, but a role at Dior would grant him international fame.
