Jonathan Saunders Is off to DVF, Not Dior

Following news of Jonathan Saunders shuttering his eponymous label back in December, and a deleted article from Elle France in March that announced him as the successor to Raf Simons’ throne at Dior, news has risen that the Scottish designer is in fact off to DVF. Business of Fashion announced that Saunders will be joining Diane Von Furstenberg’s popular women’s label as Chief Creative Officer, effective immediately. He will be responsible for overall creative direction of the DVF brand, which is known for its signature wrap dress. This leaves the Dior post yet to be filled, with six months and counting after Raf Simons’ departure. BoF also note that the role has been difficult to fill due to Dior’s restrictive rules on creative control, as compared to other high fashion brands such as Saint Laurent or Gucci.

Other names that were in the mix for Dior’s top spot included Alber Elbaz, who left his post at Lanvin last fall and Hedi Slimane, who left Saint Laurent in April.