What do a tomato, a frog, and a pigeon have in common? They have all inspired bags created by Jonathan Anderson. The Northern Ireland born designer, newly appointed as creative director at Dior, is a master of the viral fashion object, whether for his own label JW Anderson or at Loewe, where he spent over a decade.
Anderson’s realistic pigeon clutch appeared on Sex and the City spin off And Just Like That in 2023, but it’s the tomato bag that best expresses his ability to capture attention in the distracted modern age. A photo of an heirloom tomato with sculptural ridges went viral on X last June, when a user posted it with the caption “This tomato is so Loewe I can’t explain it.” Anderson responded on Instagram by presenting a tomato-shaped leather bag with the words “Loewe meme to reality”.
It was the sort of brand-building playfulness that the 40-year-old excels at. A strong identity is what a fashion house needs, especially during a luxury slowdown. Major brands Chanel, Valentino and Gucci have all changed their head designers since early 2024. When Anderson’s appointment as creative director of women’s, men’s and haute couture collections at Dior was announced on Monday, Bernard Arnault, chair and chief executive of owner LVMH, said “his incomparable artistic signature will be a crucial asset in writing the next chapter of the history of the House of Dior.”