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Vincenzo La Torre

Chief Editor, Style; Fashion Editor, Post Magazine


Late last year, Chinese outerwear maker Bosideng announced that Kim Jones would join the brand to lead its new high-end line, named Areal.
While many industry insiders assumed this was just a quick money move from the British designer, this partnership had been three years in the making, as Jones explained during an interview in Hong Kong to celebrate the unveiling of a pop-up store at the city’s K11 Musea mall.
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”?
The stigma comes from people who don’t want you to buy things from China. We’ve heard all these bad things about manufacturing in China, but I’ve seen nothing but the best. Bosideng has a triple A sustainability rating from the government, the only company in China to [have that]. They use lots of sustainable fabrics and recycled metals in the zippers; they’re really conscious of their environment and planting trees, and want to become energy efficient. Europe is amazing for handcrafts and couture, but everyone in the world has caught up with Europe. I always look at labels and where things are made. There’s a large population around the world that wants to work hard and are proud of what they do.
What really struck you about Bosideng and its manufacturing facilities?
I have been to many outerwear factories in Italy. Going to one in China, I was really surprised by its scale, cleanliness and efficiency; how so many things are done by machine, how technical the outerwear was and the quality controls. It really blew my mind. I do this job for 20 days a year in China. It’s about a month of my time per year, so it’s a part-time job, but I travel to China four times a year.

How different is it working here when compared to Paris or Europe in general?
I have to say that in the two places where I’m working at the moment – China and Japan – things are more straightforward. There are fewer people in the mix; you work with the owners of the companies directly, and there is no middle management that wants to have their piece of the pie just so that they can claim that they worked on something on their CV. When your headcount is so high, people start questioning why things cost so much – and it’s obviously because you have 100 people working on one product, so it’s going to become more expensive.
What about the difference between working for luxury houses versus affordable brands?
I love everywhere in the world. I always got a lot of information about clients in the US and Asia when I was at Louis Vuitton, Dior and Fendi. I noticed that the same clients followed me from brand to brand because I’d meet them at the VIP dinners and events. I knew what their children did and what cars they had. You get to know these people and there is a kind of loyalty. It’s funny, because when some of my wealthy friends in Hong Kong saw this Bosideng collection, they all went to buy it for all their family to go skiing. The name doesn’t really matter; it’s about the quality of the make and the collection, which is really good, and also the design. I’ve done skiwear at Dior and I’ve done Nike, so I’m really aware of technical apparel. Now it’s great to work with a real specialist rather than a ready-to-wear brand trying to re-create it.

Is your approach to design different from what you do in luxury?
I’ve always been a high and low designer. I have done Umbro, Topman and Iceberg. High and low doesn’t mean one is better than the other; they’re just different price points. It’s interesting seeing all these different designers doing things with affordable brands. The only thing I would say about these brands is the quantity they produce and not having too much waste. Every brand has waste, and at Bosideng, they produced specifically the numbers that they thought they needed to have – that’s a very modern approach. I haven’t seen that before with a company. At Dior, each pre-collection became seven collections, so we ended up doing 15 to 16 collections a year – and then Fendi on top of that too. I’m more into doing two collections a year with four drops.
What’s the story behind the name of the range, Areal?
[Bosideng is] all about mountains and polar explorations. That spoke to me, being someone who travels a lot – so I was thinking, what’s the common factor linking me and them? It’s this aerial approach to the world. During Christmas, I went to see snow leopards in the Himalayas. I don’t ski any more, but I tested the collection when I was in the Himalayas and when I went to Harbin, which was minus 25 Celsius.

Is the collection is also a way for Bosideng to gain global awareness?
Japanese and Korean brands are internationally known. China is quite insular and brands stay within China – and that’s what’s nice about going within China, because you discover lots of new things. Chinese brands don’t need to leave China because the market is so big. Bosideng knows what it’s good at and the owners were so proud when they saw what I did.
Can you tell me more about the process of working with Bosideng?
I started working on Areal when I was at Dior, because I knew that I was leaving. I’ve always done side projects, but never something at this scale. I’ve done a car previously and that was all about looking to the future. I have to say that the pattern cutters at Bosideng are some of the best in the world. People often overlook things that look very simple, while they think that things that are very heavy and decorated are special, but actually making something that is very minimal in a sophisticated way is a real talent.

How does it feel to work on so many different things right now after leaving Dior and Fendi?
I started this when I was at Dior; my assistant Lucy and I decided to resign because we didn’t want to do that job any more. We had done 15 years on a treadmill, so to speak, and life has chapters. We loved it all, but the industry had changed, so unless it’s Hermès or Chanel, there are a lot of questions. I’m happy to do different projects and experiment and see new stuff – or you get bored. I’m doing some work in Tokyo and going there tomorrow; [I’m] working here today and was in London yesterday.
How is life different now that you don’t work for a luxury house?
When I left Dior, I was offered [roles at] a few houses, but I felt there was no point because I’ve done some of the biggest houses in the world. I don’t think it looks good when designers go from house to house. You stop working for a big house and you think people won’t care about you. Even when I walk by a Dior store, people come out and recognise me and say hi.

What else are you excited about right now besides this Bosideng project?
I’m in London [more than anywhere else in Europe]. I live in an area where people dress up, and I’m quite casual myself. Something I’m really interested in now is doing some tailoring, because there is a real gap in good tailoring at a good price point in the market.


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Fashion

Kim Jones on Areal, his new line with Chinese outerwear maker Bosideng, and his ties to Asia

Bosideng chairman and CEO Gao Dekang with designer Kim Jones at an Areal pop-up in Hong Kong during Art Basel. Photo: Handout

Designer Kim Jones designs Bosideng’s premium line Areal. Photo: Handout

A zipper detail from an Areal jacket, designed by Kim Jones. Photo: Handout

The range features practical and stylish outerwear for all climates. Photo: Handout

A men’s outfit from Areal. Photo: Handout

A detail of a garment from the Areal line. Photo: Handout

A practical and chic outfit from the range. Photo: Handout

A jacket detail. Photo: Handout

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Style

Fashion News

On a visit to Hong Kong, the British designer shares why his collaboration with Bosideng was years in the making – and why ‘Made in China’ is better than most people think


On a visit to Hong Kong, the British designer shares why his collaboration with Bosideng was years in the making – and why ‘Made in China’ is better than most people think.


.css-l23q6k{color:#727272;color:#222222;font-family:Playfair Display,serif;text-transform:uppercase;}.css-l23q6k span{font-style:italic;}.css-l23q6k .e1q1c9am1{font-style:normal;}Q&a / Kim Jones on Areal, his new line with Chinese outerwear maker Bosideng, and his ties to Asia

Q&a / Kim Jones on Areal, his new line with Chinese outerwear maker Bosideng, and his ties to Asia