Kim Jones is Fendi’s New Artistic Director of Women’s Collections

Fendi surprised and delighted many today with its announcement that British designer Kim Jones is its new Artistic Director of womenswear, and that he will present his first collection with the venerable Italian house during next February’s Milan Fashion Week.

Jones, who has established himself as a true force of creativity and a leader in bucking gender norms while serving as Artistic Director at Dior Homme and in his past position at Louis Vuitton, is poised to have a unique role in a tumultuous industry landscape while managing these two commitments. “Working across two such prestigious houses is a true honour as a designer and to be able to join the house of Fendi as well as continuing my work at Dior Men’s is a huge privilege,” he said in a press release that went out this morning.

Jones joins Silvia Venturini Fendi, a third-generation member of the family-run house and creator of the Baguette bag, in the top tier of Fendi’s design structure. He will oversee haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections, while she will continue her role in creating accessories and men’s collections.

There are certainly big shoes to fill in this new adventure as Jones is taking on the position Karl Lagerfeld held from 1977 until his death last year. We got a glimpse at his warm, encouraging welcome into the Fendi fam after Silvia posted a sweet text between the two on Instagram earlier today. And in a year devoid of major creative leadership announcements–for obvious reasons, the news heralds something to look forward to at a time when we need it most.