Why Kim Jones, former designer of Dior and Fendi, is working with Chinese coat maker Bosideng and carmaker Avatr

Kim Jones has been a leading light of the European luxury vanguard for two decades. The celebrated English designer, best known for his influential menswear, obsession with craft and for ushering streetwear on to the high fashion runways, has held some of the industry’s biggest roles. In his early career, he was creative director at Dunhill, he spent seven years leading the Louis Vuitton men’s division and, most recently, he juggled two key positions for LVMH as head of Dior menswear and the artistic director of menswear, womenswear and couture at Fendi.

But after swirling rumours, Jones left both Fendi and Dior in the past 12 months. So what is he doing now? And where?

After a career in London, Paris and Rome, the 46-year-old has now set his sights on Asia. Long the engine of sales growth for western luxury brands, increasingly the continent is becoming a burgeoning hub for fashion companies holding global ambitions that stretch well beyond their home markets.

This week, Jones was unveiled as the new creative director of Areal, a label owned by Chinese outerwear giant Bosideng. Bosideng launched Areal to create down jackets for business wear, pitched at city-dwelling consumers with an appetite for high-tech, high-function design. For Jones, it also marks a significant professional leap from shaping the course of traditional European luxury houses to that of a fast-paced Chinese conglomerate (albeit one with significant resources behind it) that is keen to leverage his international reputation. 

Nor is it the only Asia-centric gig for the team working at his namesake Kim Jones Studio. In June, Jones unveiled his first capsule collection for Aman Essentials, the product line for the Aman Resorts group renowned for its hyper luxurious hotels in Asia and beyond. And he continues to work on a partnership with upmarket Chinese electric vehicle company Avatr on a limited-edition model, Avatr 012. (Fun fact: Jones can’t actually drive). 

As part of a conversation with HTSI editor Jo Ellison at the Nikkei and Financial Times Live Business of Luxury Summit Asia edition in Hong Kong this week, Jones discussed changing attitudes to luxury in 2025, what excites him most about working in Asia and why he wants to base his projects there.

Jo Ellison: When did you go to Asia for the first time? 

Kim Jones: I went to Tokyo for the first time in 2001 after I graduated, which was completely alien for me but I’ve been 120 times since. I first came to China in 2003, then to Hong Kong when I was at Dunhill, and actually learnt most of what I know about the tailoring business here. To many in Europe, it feels quite far away. For me, Asia is the future. 

As a designer for a modern luxury group, you were early in recognising the impact Asian design heritage and figures could have on 21st-century fashion.

In previous roles I collaborated with the likes of Chitose Abe and Hiroshi Fujiwara, two designers who I love and wear. After Covid, I also tried to do a number of shows in the regions which were cancelled because of the pandemic. We tried to work with artisans like kimono manufacturers, for example, when they were having real issues, and artisans in China too. All the countries in this part of the world have huge ancient legacies of craftsmanship.

Luxury as a term is so broad and has become quite lost in the sense of what it means.

Luxury is a very overused word now. Expensive doesn’t always mean luxury, it’s about craftsmanship. At Dior and Fendi, I worked on couture which was handmade, proper luxury — giving customers the absolute best for the price they paid on pieces that last a lifetime.

Has that obsession with craftsmanship got lost by the wider industry in its pursuit of growth?

It felt like it was time for me to do something independently. [When we talk about independents] I would include Chanel, Hermes, Prada. These names own themselves, they feel very confident, and I think the customer realises that too. Obviously I loved the brands that I’ve worked for, but it was also time for change.

I have a group of 10 people that work with me in the Kim Jones Studio, and Lucy, who’s been my right hand for 20 years, said I want to do something different now. So we resigned, and it was very nice to come out and try to do new things in Asia. In the west [luxury companies are like] big ships, hard to turn and nostalgic. In China, you just build a new ship straight away. 

Why did you decide to work for Bosideng?

It’s the third largest retailer in Asia with 11,000 stores and a family-run business. I went to see the factory and headquarters and liked who I met. But also, it’s a part-time role. Which after being locked in rooms working on clothes for the last 20 years is nice. A luxury I have really discovered lately is time and making things work for me. It has allowed me to come to Asia a lot, to really travel in China, Japan and Korea. I have a lot more projects coming up.

Where do you stand with pricing in the luxury industry?

The average cost of a Bosideng coat is between €300 (US$350; S$450) and €600. I think it’s important to be realistic about what people can afford now. In Asia you have a lot of wealth, but in Europe many feel as if their wealth is going away. People still want to be part of this, but many can’t really afford to be. Everyone starts as a young consumer. It is important for designers to keep thinking about this. 

I love designing clothes, it is my favourite part of what I do. How can you make a perfect suit or jacket for a certain environment or a certain climate? There is so much technology now to fabrications, especially in Asia, that you can think about that element beyond just fit. And then there’s the challenge — and excitement — of trying to do it at the right price point. 

What excites you about doing business in Asia in 2025?

Everything that I do I plan to start in Asia now. I have a really loyal fan base in every country here and when I walk down the street in Tokyo or Shanghai or Hong Kong or in Seoul people come up to me. My base is Asia-centric, you know, so now I’m Asia first. They have the manufacturing base, the design skill sets, they’ve got the future vision. There’s so much here that I consider the new luxury.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Jo Ellison and Elizabeth Paton © 2025 The Financial Times.

This article originally appeared in The Financial Times.