Late last year, Chinese outerwear maker Bosideng announced that Kim Jones would join the brand to lead its new high-end line, named Areal.
A long-time visitor of Asia, where he has many close friends, Jones is one of the most respected and successful designers in the world. His stellar track record includes stints as menswear creative director at Louis Vuitton and Dior, and as womenswear artistic director at Fendi, not to mention projects with brands such as Nike for his own platform, Kim Jones Studio.
You’ve been coming to Asia for a very long time. Tell me more about your strong bond with this part of the world.
I first went to Japan in 2001, right after college. Nobody spoke English; there were no signs in English. I was on my own and it was crazy. I went to China for the first time in 2003 to do a talk with the English Union and Shanghai was really different. The first time I went to China after the [Covid-19] lockdown ended was when I met Bosideng, so that was three years ago now.
What did you know about the brand when they approached you?
I didn’t know about Bosideng, but they invited us to meet them when I was still at Dior and Fendi because I have had Kim Jones Studio, my other project, for more than six years; we have done projects with Nike and Converse and another one with Avtr, a carmaker, so we always had side jobs. We went to see them and were blown away by their manufacturing facilities and how lovely the people were. It’s an hour and a half from Shanghai; they have a whole town and it was like looking at the future of manufacturing.
What do you make of those who look down on “made in China”?