This Tuesday, August 18, Mathilde Favier, Dior Couture’s longtime director of public relations, died in Airvault, France, in a car accident that also claimed the life of her husband, Nicolas Altmayer. Favier was 57 and Altmayer, a film producer, was 61.
The House of Dior remembered Favier as “an exceptional woman whose communicative joy, talent and loyalty were exemplary.” In a statement, Delphine Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture, added: “Mathilde loved life with a passion. With the passing of Mathilde, Dior is losing an incredible professional, and I have lost a loyal friend. Her optimism and courage commanded admiration. We will sorely miss her smile and her talent. I feel deeply saddened today; my thoughts are very much with her children, her mother, her sisters, her family, her many friends and her team she loved so much.”
Altmayer and Favier at Cannes in May.
Photo: Getty Images
Bernard Arnault also paid tribute to Favier, stating: “I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic and sudden passing of Mathilde Favier, who devoted so many years to putting her passion, energy and talent at the service of the House of Dior. My heartfelt condolences go to her family and loved ones.”
Remembering Favier in his own tribute, Jonathan Anderson, Dior’s artistic director, described a woman who embodied the very essence of haute couture: “I am heartbroken by Mathilde Favier’s passing. We all owe so much to her work and dedication. She brought such warmth, energy and was the most positive and uplifting person I have ever met. Mathilde was the very embodiment of elegance and in many ways, the spirit of Couture itself.”
Sofia Coppola, Mathilde Favier at the La Double J Cocktail Party on December 10, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
