Artistic Director of the DIOR Homme range since April 2007, Kris Van Assche oversees the creation of its Ready-to-Wear collections and accessories. He is also responsible for the directing and casting of fashion shows, and supervises advertising campaigns.

Born in Belgium in 1976, he was the youngest ever graduate of the prestigious Académie Royale d’Anvers, where he acquired the strict work ethic and creative freedom that characterise his Flemish compatriots. There, he was able to work on the major themes that would later constitute his artistic signature, resuscitating classics by enhancing them with highly unusual details.

Upon his arrival in Paris at the end of the 1990s, he immediately immersed himself in the world of the greatest Fashion Houses and began his career at Yves Saint Laurent, before following Hedi Slimane to DIOR, where he participated in the DIOR HOMME “revolution”.

It was there that he came to appreciate the scale of the resources dedicated to fashion shows and the constant rigour required for the creation of a collection.

He became independent in January 2005 and launched his own fashion house, KRIS VAN ASSCHE, which enjoyed immediate success with the press and general public. His elegant and contemporary style was acclaimed by all and adopted by a male clientele looking to find authentic examples of caricature-free poetry in everyday life.

When asked to work at DIOR HOMME, he made the range's central codes his own whilst honouring Mr Dior’s revolutionary spirit.

Thanks to the unique work of the Dior ateliers, whose expertise he showcases in his designs, Kris Van Assche has been able to pursue his quest for absolute elegance through unprecedented luxury details and a confirmed Couture style

The staging of his shows is full of personal references: a live classical orchestra directed by Wim Mertens accompanied the Autumn-Winter ’08-‘09 “Lumière du Nord” collection, while the Jardins de l’Observatoire offered an exceptional backdrop to the Spring-Summer 2009 “Blow” collection.

When searching for the perfect silhouette, Kris Van Assche continually blends influences to invent a new form of sophistication.

Imbued with Latin culture, he draws inspiration from Buenos Aires and Brazil. With a strong interest in contemporary art, he enriches his rich creative experience by participating in various exhibitions.

Collaborating with photographers such as Nan Goldin, Jeff Burton and director Zoe Cassavetes, his has illustrated his versatility through a variety of activities, whether acting as the editor-in-chief of A-Magazine or, more recently, the President of the Jury of the International Fashion and Photography Festival in Hyères in April 2009.

Today, Kris Van Assche defines the contours of a radical new elegance and the rules of a charismatic, surprising Modernity.