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The creative director shuffle continues: Jonathan Anderson announced he’s officially leaving Loewe.
In a post to Instagram, Anderson wrote, “Eleven years ago, I was given the most incredible opportunity: to write a chapter in a story that is now 179 years old. Since my first day at Loewe, I found kindred spirits in the design studio and the atelier, whose talents were, and still are, second to none. Thank you for sharing your craft.”
The Irish designer joined the Spanish fashion house in 2013. In tandem with his appointment, LVMH invested in his then-five-year-old namesake label, JW Anderson. Over the last decade, he’s catapulted the leather brand to become not only a leader in craft (he founded the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2016), but also a forward-thinking, conversation-starting force in fashion with his increasingly viral runway collections and red-carpet moments. Since 2018, he’s also been on Loewe’s board of directors.
He continued in his statement, “Over the last eleven years, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by people with the imagination, the skills, tenacity and resourcefulness to find a way to say ‘yes’ to all my wildly ambitious ideas. 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.”
Rumors of Anderson’s departure have been circulating for quite some time now but gained more traction after Loewe showed a presentation (as opposed to its typical runway show) of its Fall 2025 collection on mannequins, with no appearance by Anderson at the event. We now know those were the designer’s final designs for the Spanish brand. A successor has not been named.
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“What [Anderson] has contributed to Loewe goes beyond creativity. He has built a rich and eclectic world with strong foundations in craft which will enable the house to thrive long after his departure,” said Sidney Toledano — former CEO of Christian Dior Couture, previous head of LVMH Fashion Group and a former advisor to Bernard Arnaul, in a statement.
Anderson departs on arguably the highest of highs: Since 2023 alone, he has been named GQ Designer of the Year, the CFDA’s International Designer of the Year, the Fashion Awards’ Designer of the Year and one of Time 100’s most influential people. He also costume-designed Luca Guadagnino “Challengers” and “Queer,” stewarded Loewe through sponsoring the Met Gala and helped the Spanish fashion house become the hottest brand in the world while increasing revenues by more than seven times throughout his residency, as estimated by market sources.
“Thank you to all those who supported me and my vision and to all the people who made every show possible. And to those who appeared in campaigns, wrote articles, bought products or simply liked a post – you have made this all possible,” Anderson said in his statement.
Though there hasn’t been any official announcement of where Anderson will be headed next, it’s widely speculated that he’ll be taking his demonstrated ability to significantly drive sales to fellow LVMH house Dior. (WWD has already called his transition to the French brand “an open secret in Paris.”)
“They say all good things must come to an end, but I disagree,” Anderson said. “While my own chapter draws to a close, Loewe’s story will continue for many years to come and I will look on with pride.”
Whatever or wherever his next step may be, keep an eye out here for updates.
Source: Fashionista.com
