UPDATE: Kim Jones to Replace Kris Van Assche at Dior Homme

After 11 years in charge, Kris Van Assche has announced that he will be leaving his position as artistic director of Dior Homme. The news comes as a surprise, with the Belgian designer having given no indication of plans to move on from the role in recent months.

Kim Jones — who left Louis Vuitton earlier this year — has been confirmed as Van Assche’s replacement, with the British designer set to show his first collection for the label at Paris Fashion Week in June. This is the first major shakeup since Pietro Beccari was announced as Dior chairman and chief executive late last year. Beccari also worked with Jones at Louis Vuitton. According to reports from WWD, Van Assche will remain within LVMH, with a new role at the luxury conglomerate.

In a statement announcing the news, Beccari said that he was “delighted to welcome Kim Jones at Dior Homme. He will benefit from the support of the teams and from the ‘savoir-faire’ of the Ateliers to create an elegant men’s wardrobe both classic and anchored in contemporary culture. I am confident that he will continue to further develop Dior Homme on a global scale,” before adding “I thank Kris Van Assche for contributing to the amazing growth of Dior Homme by creating an elegant and contemporary silhouette for men. He wrote an important chapter in the history of Dior Homme and played a key role in its development.”

Meanwhile, Jones announced that he was “deeply honored to join the house of Dior, a symbol of the ultimate elegance. I would like to warmly thank Bernard Arnault and Pietro Beccari for their trust in giving me this incredible opportunity. I am committed to create a modern and innovative male silhouette built upon the unique legacy of the house.”

Previous speculation about Jones’s future had linked him with positions at Burberry — which was then filled by Riccardo Tisci — and Versace.

The LVMH Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Jones as Artistic Director of Dior Homme for the Ready-to-Wear and Accessory collections.https://t.co/K9CFTjdz3u#LVMHtalents #LVMH #Dior #DiorHomme pic.twitter.com/5NfyrL4UO3

— LVMH (@LVMH) March 19, 2018