Who is Jonathan Anderson? Meet Dior’s new creative director after Maria Grazia Chiuri’s exit

Irish designer Jonathan Anderson has been appointed creative director of the French luxury goods company Dior. With this, he has replaced Maria Grazia Chiuri, who served in that position for nearly ten years. Anderson will be in charge of the couture and accessory collections for both men and women.

Irish designer Jonathan Anderson

“Jonathan Anderson is one of the greatest creative talents of his generation. Its unique artistic signature will be a key asset for writing the next chapter of the Dior house’s history,” Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of Dior’s parent company, LVMH.

Taking to its official Instagram handle, Dior shared a picture of Jonathan Anderson and wrote, “Dior is thrilled to welcome Jonathan Anderson as Creative Director of women’s, men’s, and haute couture collections of the House. Jonathan Anderson will present his first collection, Dior Men Summer 2026, in Paris on June 27, 2025.”

Who is Jonathan Anderson?

Anderson was born in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on September 17, 1984, and has spent most of his life on the island of Ibiza. His parents are Willie Anderson, an international rugby player, and Heather Buckley, a secondary school teacher. He was identified as a student with severe dyslexia in elementary school.

At the age of 18, Anderson relocated to New York to pursue a career in acting, enrolling at the Juilliard School, but his passion eventually turned to costume design. He then relocated to Dublin, where he found employment in the fashion industry at Brown Thomas, a department shop.

After relocating to London in 2005, he graduated from the London College of Fashion. He started out as a visual merchandiser for the upscale fashion brand Prada.

He was able to showcase his first runway collection at London Fashion Week two years after launching his own menswear brand under the moniker JW Anderson in 2008.

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He then worked with high-street store Topshop in 2012 to create a unique collection named JW Anderson x Topshop, which featured only-available apparel and accessories.

Within hours of its debut, the collection was completely sold out. Following this, they made the decision to create a new collection in 2013.

Anderson’s first collection was unveiled in New York City after Donatella Versace asked him to take over as designer of Versus from Christopher Kane in June 2013. Following the acquisition of a minority stake in his label by LVMH, he was named the new creative director of the Spanish luxury brand LOEWE in September 2013. In 2019, the Victoria and Albert Museum appointed him as a trustee.

He created a costume for singer Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February 2023. Later same year, he designed the costumes for the film Queer, which was directed by Luca Guadagnino.