Why is Kim Jones designing for a luxury hotel chain? Everything you need to know about the former Dior Homme creative director's partnership with Aman
Kim Jones, former creative director for Louis Vuitton Men, Fendi, and Dior Homme, has just unveiled a new collaboration with Aman Essentials. This is a rather unconventional partnership for the fashion industry, given that Aman is one of the most exclusive names in luxury hospitality. With hotels and resorts built around privacy and the highest level of service, the group boasts an extremely wealthy international clientele and a perfectly defined luxury identity — qualities that should also characterise a fashion Maison, but which, in 2026, seem to be increasingly hard to come by.
As refined as it is, the collection Jones created for the chain (the second one; the first was unveiled in 2025) is not the most interesting aspect of the partnership. What is far more compelling is the decision by a creative director who spent years as one of the leading figures in contemporary fashion to step so far away from the spotlight.
But let's explore together why this collaboration works.
A return to true luxury
Behind the partnership lies a logic very different from the one that has dominated fashion in recent years. At a time when luxury apparel is struggling to remain as such, shaped by an excessive popularity that sees it front and centre at every social event — from Formula 1 races to Design Week — and by runaway price increases that frequently place it at the heart of public debate, niche players invisible to most are winning out. And Aman is one of them.
For Jones, there is a significant advantage: the designer's name has by now acquired such value that he no longer needs to prove his status through a major creative directorship. He is the one who chooses which collaborations to pursue, and in this case he has decided to keep both feet firmly planted in the roots of luxury — the kind that still keeps its doors closed and doesn't flaunt its assets online, so to speak, as well as the kind that shows it is still doing just fine.
Creativity at a crossroads
The new partnership between Jones and Aman is further proof that creativity in fashion is witnessing a significant split between pop and niche. On one side, there are designers and creative forces stepping away from major artistic directorships to pursue more low-key projects, or at least ones that are less "famous" on the European scene. On the other, some of fashion's historic icons are choosing the opposite strategy, opting for collaborations with colossal media reach. A case in point is John Galliano, who launched a two-year partnership with Zara and who was, if only briefly, announced as the protagonist of the next Met Gala (subsequently cancelled).
As the criticism levelled at Galliano and his entire entourage — Anna Wintour included — has shown, maximising visibility to such a degree carries significant risks. Especially, one might add, when the designer in question has already been at the centre of a major controversy that forced him to disappear from the scene for several years. The fact remains that Kim Jones and Galliano both demonstrate how a designer's identity now transcends the company they work for and the values it represents. Perhaps, in 2026, heading up a major luxury Maison is no longer the ultimate statement: it may be more interesting to design for a global fast fashion chain or a luxury hospitality company accessible only to the top one percent. For those who have already proven their worth, this could be the most compelling form of freedom.