Widely considered one of the most influential figures in modern menswear, Kim Jones is launching his own brand—and he’s doing it in an unexpected place: Hong Kong.
Jones will launch the label through his own e-commerce site in mid-2027, as well as a standalone store at Hong Kong’s Central Yards, an ambitious $8 billion mixed-use development by property developer Henderson Land. The first phase is set to open in October 2027. The “groundscraper,” which will stretch about 400 meters along Victoria Harbour and sit directly next to the high-end IFC mall, is expected to transform the city’s skyline. More stockists for Jones’s label across Asia and selected retail partners will follow. Henderson Land plans to host an event on October 13 celebrating 50 years in business (one hopes more details of the partnership might be revealed then).
“After many years working with incredible houses and collaborators, it feels like the right moment to do something under my own name again. This brings together the things I’ve always been interested in—fashion, art and design—and gives me the space to work with people I admire and explore new ideas. I’m excited about what comes next,” Jones said in a statement. Jones and his longtime right-hand and business partner, Lucy Beeden, will continue to work together on the new label, and both are majority shareholders, the brand confirmed.
Jones’s designs will be made predominantly in Japan, with leather goods made in Italy, at “a considered price point,” according to the brand’s release, without specific figures. It also said that Jones would offer “a broader wardrobe unrestricted by traditional categories,” suggesting that the clothing would be fluid and genderless. Jones may also expand his vision into other mediums beyond clothing.
Jones has long had a deeply personal connection to Asia. The designer, who in an October 2025 interview with the Financial Times said that “Asia is the future,” has consistently channeled his love for the continent into his work at Dior Men and Fendi, where he was most recently creative director, blending the houses’ European heritage with local craftsmanship from the East and high-profile regional collaborations. (While at Dior, for example, Jones partnered with prominent Asian creatives, such as the Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama and the Korean-American designer Yoon Ahn. He also collaborated with K-pop group BTS to create custom stage outfits for their world tour, marking the first time that the French luxury house had designed stage attire for a pop band.)
After leaving Fendi and Dior Men in 2024 and 2025, respectively, Jones pivoted his career towards Asia, seeking new consumer bases and cultural exchanges for his creative platform Kim Jones Studio. He collaborated with Chinese electric car manufacturer Avatr on a limited-edition Avatr 012 luxury sedan in 2024. In October 2025, he was appointed creative director of Areal, a sub-brand of Shanghai-based outerwear label Bosideng. And last June, he unveiled his first capsule collection for Aman Essentials, the lifestyle and wellness brand by Aman, known for its ultra-luxurious hotels and resorts in Asia and beyond.
Read More: Kim Jones joins Bosideng to lead its new high-end urban line
The designer will oversee the creative direction of Bosideng’s sub-brand, which aims to target the next generation of city dwellers.
By Yiling Pan
Other high-profile Western fashion designers have recently found opportunities in the East: In January, Francesco Risso, the former creative director of Marni, became the creative director for casualwear brand GU (owned by Uniqlo’s parent company, Fast Retailing). And in September, the ChThe Chinese fashion brand Icicle, part of the ICCF Group, which also owns the French label Carven, announced that it had hired former Gucci designer Sabato de Sarno as its creative director.
Still, the choice of location for Jones’s brand may surprise some. Hong Kong has traditionally been a financial and trading hub, thanks to its geographic and economic closeness to China and its historic cultural ties to the West, rather than a fashion capital like Shanghai, Seoul, or Tokyo. But initiatives like the recently restructured Hong Kong Fashion Fest, which highlights local designers, have helped pave the way for a growing local creative scene.
The Dior Pre-Fall 2019 show, held in Tokyo, nodded to Japanese cyber culture and featured a giant robot by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama.
Jones himself also has a long-standing relationship with Hong Kong. During his time as creative director of the British tailoring brand Dunhill (2008–2011), he spent a great deal of time in the city, telling the Financial Times in 2025 that he “actually learned most of what [he] knows about the tailoring business here.” Hong Kong later served as a major commercial hub for the collections Jones designed for Louis Vuitton and Fendi, and was chosen for the Dior Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 show — though it was ultimately postponed after Louis Vuitton’s similar Pre-Fall show in the city a few months earlier. (Dior never officially explained why.)
What’s more, Hong Kong’s retail sales, which had been uneven after the Covid-19 pandemic, have recently enjoyed a strong, multi-month recovery, driven by high-spending tourism, major events, and steady demand for hard luxury such as jewelry and watches. The city remains a major wealth hub in Asia, ranking fourth globally as the costliest city for wealthy individuals to “live well,” according to the 2026 Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report, and is consistently listed as the most expensive housing market in the world.
“Hong Kong remains the definitive strategic gateway to the Asian luxury market,” says Kieran Ho, a veteran of the Hong Kong fashion industry in both editorial and public relations. “We are currently witnessing a quality-of-life renaissance in the city; with Hong Kong recently securing top global rankings for the world’s best hotel and the world’s best bar, we are seeing a significant influx of high-net-worth travelers who are spending intentionally.”
Fendi restaged its SS21 Haute Couture collection in Shanghai.
The Kim Jones launch is a win for Central Yards, whose second phase is expected to be completed in 2032. It is unclear whether the developer and Jones struck a special retail agreement. Shopping malls worldwide often agree to custom lease terms with high-profile tenants, especially those that bring prestige, foot traffic, and high-spending customers. These may include financial incentives, such as reduced base rents plus a percentage of store sales (instead of fixed-rate commercial leases) or generous fit-out allowances, where landlords contribute toward building out expensive, custom store designs.
Ho also points to Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” framework, which makes it an ideal testing ground and launchpad for international companies and designers entering the mainland Chinese market, as well as a platform for regional expansion. “From a business perspective, Hong Kong’s infrastructure and unique tax position, specifically its status as a free port, make it an unparalleled experimental playground,” Ho says.
Beyond Central Yards, Hong Kong’s Central district — the city’s main financial, corporate, and commercial hub — is “going through quite a big refresh right now,” says Hong Kong-based stylist and consultant Justine Lee. “There’s a lot of renewal in the process. When you walk around, you find so many flagships under renovation, shopfronts are boarded up, and walkways are blocked off.” An international luxury brand she spokShe is currently shopping for a location in Hong Kong to open her new boutique, she says, suggesting that more luxury investment is headed this way. “We’ll really get to see a new, refreshed face of Hong Kong starting in 2027.”
In the view of Victoria Tang-Owen, the Hong Kong-based co-founder and creative director of Victoria Tang Studio and Thirty30 Creative, who has worked closely with Western figures, including Jones, advising on their creative collaborations in China, the city is finally getting its due. “There is immense value in remembering that Hong Kong’s identity is rooted in being makers — the legacy of the local factories and master tailors from back in the day is what built the city, making today’s ecosystem possible,” she says. Not only are more international brands looking to Hong Kong, but homegrown talents are also gaining global recognition, she adds.
International designers have plenty to gain from coming East. “When designers look to expand into Asia, it’s no longer just about fashion. They’re also partnering with brands at the forefront of technology and innovation,” says Lee. She recalls speaking with Jones when he was in Hong Kong last year and “how impressed he was by Bosideng’s advancements in fabrications.”
“I think we are way past the point of questioning Asia as a luxury market,” agrees Tang-Owen. “The designers who are committing to learning about the various Asian markets are the ones who are going to successfully navigate the next iteration of luxury consumption.”
Jones, in particular, may be uniquely placed to leverage Asia’s vast fashion market, worth over $730 billion and commanding over half the global market value, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. On the streets, from Hong Kong to Tokyo and beyond, young people are often casually dressed, pairing practical layering (to battle the humid weather) with statement sneakers — an aesthetic pioneered by Jones, who, during his time at major European luxury houses, moved away from the rigid, ultra-skinny silhouettes favored by designers like Hedi Slimane, and towards relaxed proportions that prioritized ease and movement.
Jones himself is a cult figure, with a vast fanbase that many designers would envy. That’s all the more timely in the current luxury landscape, where continual creative director changes and aggressive creative rebrands have made it hard for consumers to keep up. In Asia, particularly, his past collaborations — whether with BTS at Dior or Louis Vuitton’s historic partnership with Supreme during his tenure — have resonated profoundly with the region’s youth.
“Kim’s tenure at Louis Vuitton and Dior didn’t just set the blueprint for how Western luxury interacts with Eastern youth culture. His brand equity here is immense,” says Ho. “Given his recent activity and collaborations in the region, Hong Kong is uniquely primed for this debut.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Kim Jones launching his own brand in Hong Kong
Beginner Questions
Q Who is Kim Jones
A He is a highly influential British fashion designer He is famous for his work as the Artistic Director at Dior Men and previously as the Creative Director at Louis Vuitton
Q What is he launching
A He is launching his own independent fashion brand
Q Why is he starting his own brand now
A After years of designing for major luxury houses he likely wants to create a brand that is completely his own vision with full creative control and a direct stake in the business
Q Why did he choose Hong Kong
A Hong Kong is a major global hub for business and fashion It offers access to wealthy consumers in Asia a strong legal system and a gateway to the huge Chinese market
Q Is this a common move for designers
A Yes Many top designers leave big brands to start their own labels It allows them to build a personal legacy and potentially earn more money if the brand is successful
Advanced Questions
Q What are the main business benefits of launching in Hong Kong
A Key benefits include
Access to Capital Hong Kong is a global financial center with many investors
Tax Efficiency It has a simple and low tax system
Market Proximity It is close to major Asian markets like Mainland China Japan and South Korea
Talent Pool It attracts international business and creative talent
Q What are the biggest challenges he will face
A The main challenges are
High Costs Rent for retail space and offices is extremely expensive
Intense Competition The luxury market in Asia is crowded with established brands
Economic Uncertainty The regions economy can be volatile
Building a New Brand It takes time and a lot of money to make a new brand known and respected
Q How is launching his own brand different from working at Dior or Louis Vuitton