Kris Van Assche Stops Namesake Label To Focus on Dior

Dior Homme creative director Kris Van Assche has announced that he's closing his namesake label, at least for now. The Belgian designer revealed that he will "take a break" from producing his own collections to focus on his role at Dior.

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"Times are tough for independent labels," Van Assche said to Women's Wear Daily. "This wonderful adventure has reached a point where I feel the need to take a break and some distance to better think about how to develop my brand in the future."

A graduate from the prestigious Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Van Assche rose to prominence fast in the fashion industry with his early collections, thanks to his minimalist and athletic approach to menswear. He was tapped by Dior to suceed to Hedi Slimane as creative director of menswear in 2007, merely two years after presenting his first solo runway show.