Meet The Artist Collaborating With Kim Jones For Dior's Upcoming Collection

As the Creative Director for Dior Men, Kim Jones has not shied away from mounting extravagant runway spectacles for the house's annual pre-fall collection presentation. Ensuing his futuristic 2018 Tokyo opulence and his 2019 Miami graphic takeover, Dior Men's Pre-Fall 2021 collection will be presented online on December 8th, due to the ongoing travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

Though the launch includes a special event in Beijing instead of a runway display, it's sure there will be no shortage of the wild visionary that is Kim Jones. First and foremost, there will be a collaboration with another artist– a coveted hallmark of Jones' lavish tenure at Dior so far. Having commissioned and fused the diverse art of geniuses including Hajime Sorayama, Daniel Arsham, and Kaws into the veneer of Dior menswear, this time, Jones has bequeathed the torch of artistic partnership to the iconic New York surrealist and abstract artist, Kenny Scharf.

Scharf has shared the same spotlight with contemporary street art prodigies of the '80s like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. And he's no stranger to the collab mania of fashion, boasting a diverse portfolio of working with streetwear labels such as Heron Preston and G-Shock. Known for his cartoonish illustrations and iridescent, figurative artwork that borders between surrealism and the abstract, Scharf will certainly grace his comic strips and animated pictorial tropes onto Dior Men's wardrobe staples, ready-to-wear goods, and footwear (with a marketable appeal, of course). 

Just like many of Dior's artist collaborations before, there's no doubt that Jones and Scharf will deliver an Internet-breaking crossover. The imminent Dior Men's Pre-Fall 2021 collection also hints at Jones’ fetish for youth culture and contemporary street artists, a habit that echos founder Christian Dior's own penchant in his early career.