MCM announces the departure of designer Dirk Schönberger

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Feb 13, 2023

The German brand MCM, founded in 1976 in Munich and bought in 2004 by the Korean businesswoman Sung-Joo Kim via her company Sungjoo Group, has announced the departure of Dirk Schönberger. In 2018, the group had recruited the former Adidas creative director to take on the role of global creative director, a position created for the occasion.

Known for its leather bags, and especially its backpacks with striking designs, the luxury leather goods manufacturer MCM, whose acronym stands for Modern Creation München, did not give any explanations, stating only that Schönberger remained in his post until the end of 2022. The label did not say whether the designer will have a successor.

In a statement, MCM highlights how the designer "served as a key catalyst behind the product design and brand experience, and led and implemented global creative strategies". Among his actions within the label, he "played a central role in transforming the leather goods company into a fully-fledged brand", while preserving its identity, the company said.

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In particular, he developed the ready-to-wear offer. "MCM Worldwide has been an extraordinary place for me to work. With its roots in Germany, reinvented in Korea, and its significant presence around the world, I was able to work on the development of the brand's first ready-to-wear collection with a dedicated and passionate creative team. MCM offered me a platform to connect with exceptional talent around the world and develop groundbreaking concepts," comments Schönberger.

The Cologne-born designer graduated from the Esmod school in Munich and started out in Antwerp with Dirk Bikkembergs, the champion of sporty couture. Three years later, in 1996, he launched his own brand for men, which he later expanded with a women's line. He will end it in 2009.

In 2007, he was appointed creative director of the German brand JOOP! before joining Adidas in 2010. Creative director at the German sports colossus, Schönberger has notably relaunched historic models such as the Stan Smith trainers and multiplied prestigious collaborations with Yohji Yamamoto, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Pharrell Williams and Kanye West.