Jones, 46, will succeed the late Karl Lagerfeld who was responsible for Fendi womenswear until his death in 2019. ©AFP Anne-Christine POUJOULAT

Rome (AFP) – British designer Kim Jones is to join Italian fashion house Fendi as its lead designer for womenswear while retaining his job as artistic director for Dior, Fendi announced on Wednesday.

Jones, 46, will succeed the late Karl Lagerfeld who was responsible for Fendi womenswear until his death in 2019.

Silvia Venturini Fendi, from the Fendi family, will continue with responsibility for menswear and accessories, the statement from Fendi and parent company LVMH said.

“Kim Jones is a great talent and since joining, he has continuously proven his ability to adapt to the codes and heritage of the LVMH houses while revisiting them with great modernity and audacity,” LVMH chief Bernard Arnault said.

Jones, who has already worked on menswear at Louis Vuitton, has been chief designer at Dior since March 2018.

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.