Kim Jones Goes Solo: Ex-Dior Star Revives His Label as DTC Play
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 · 7 min

Kim Jones, the former Dior Men and Fendi artistic director, is reviving his namesake label as a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand, launching online in mid-2027 with a Hong Kong flagship. Also: AI-generated imagery takes aim at the catalog shoot, and Grunt Style closes most of its stores.
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Show notes
Kim Jones, the former Dior Men and Fendi artistic director, is reviving his namesake label as a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand, launching online in mid-2027 with a Hong Kong flagship. Also: AI-generated imagery takes aim at the catalog shoot, and Grunt Style closes most of its stores.
In this episode
- What Kim Jones Did Next | BoF — The Business of Fashion
“That visibility will come in handy for Jones’ next venture: nearly two decades after shelving his eponymous menswear brand, the star designer is reviving the Kim Jones label. He’s joined in the venture by his longtime deputy, design director Lucy Beeden. Launching online in…”
- Lumesa CEO Vita Mallela on AI models, inclusivity and the end of the catalog shoot — FashionUnited
““Photoshoots are being asked to do a job they were never designed for,” Mallela said, adding that a photoshoot for a single garment to be shown in a single color on 20 bodies would roughly cost between 19,000 and 38,000 dollars, when adding the work of models, photographers,…”
- ‘ACOTAR’ is the latest franchise that brands are clamoring to collaborate with — Modern Retail
“Since 2015, the ACOTAR franchise has sold more than 75 million copies globally and helped power the growth of the “romantasy” genre. As readers await the next book, and even get ready for the just-announced seventh installment, they can summon the world of Prythian via ACOTAR…”
- Grunt Style closures will cost 19 San Antonio retail workers their jobs by Nov. 30 – Main Street Dollars — Main Street Dollars
“Grunt Style, the San Antonio military-themed apparel company, is closing its Broadway store in the city, and 19 retail workers will lose their jobs by Nov. 30. The San Antonio Report says 11 of the 19 work full time. The company is shutting stores in other states, too.”