19th August 2026 – (Paris) Dior has confirmed the death of Mathilde Favier, its director of public relations, following a car crash in France that also killed her partner, the French film producer Nicolas Altmayer. Favier was 57; Altmayer was 61. The house announced her “accidental death” in a statement on Tuesday, with creative director Jonathan Anderson and chair and chief executive Delphine Arnault among those paying tribute.
According to reports citing the Niort prosecutor’s office, the couple’s vehicle collided with a truck travelling in the opposite direction during an overtaking manoeuvre. An investigation for involuntary manslaughter has been opened.
Favier joined Dior in 2011 and became a central figure in the brand’s celebrity and couture relations. In 2024, she published the coffee‑table book Living Beautifully in Paris, reflecting her insider’s view of the city’s creative circles. Colleagues remembered her warmth, elegance and loyalty in messages shared after the news broke.
Altmayer, long recognised alongside his brother Éric for producing major French films through Mandarin Cinéma, was widely respected within European cinema. Industry tributes highlighted his decades of work across acclaimed features. Anderson, who took the helm of Dior’s creative direction in 2025–26, called Favier “the very embodiment of elegance,” as messages from colleagues and friends continued to appear across social platforms and fashion media.