Louis Vuitton's Kim Jones Is Fighting to Improve Wages in Fashion Houses

Kim Jones, the global head of menswear for esteemed luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton, is a force to be reckoned with. Previous to his five years presiding at LV, the 36-year-old had worked with such brands as Dunhill, Hugo Boss, McQueen, Topman and Mulberry, to name a few. In a recent audience-attended conversation with SHOWstudio editor Lou Stoppard, Jones discussed everything from how he started in the industry to how he hopes to help young talent grow. Known to personally respond to messages and emails from students and budding designers, he understands the importance of fostering development among young creatives. Quite humbly, Jones adds, “If people ask me questions, I think it’s polite to answer… I like the fact that I can talk about things to someone who has a different perspective, who’s coming up, because that makes me think in a different way too.”

Jones also openly speaks about nurturing his team of young staff, a seemingly daunting task when you consider the often intimidatingly complex hierarchy within large fashion houses. Nonetheless, he hopes to continue fighting for better wages in an emotionally and physically demanding environment that currently commands a staggering 12 collections per year. Known to sometimes yell at HR personnel in efforts to ensure that employees are being paid fairly, Jones has unsurprisingly garnered a reputation as a tough, albeit effective, manager. So much so that when he recently sat down at his last HR meeting, someone called him a good manager, to which he promptly responded, “I’m not a fucking manager – I’m a creative! Are you trying to destroy my soul with this meeting?” In explanation, Jones says, “Ninety percent is politics and logistics, then 10 percent is creative, generally. It might be 80/20, but it’s a lot of fucking bullshit.”

To read the full article, you can head over to Fashionista.