Mathilde Favier, who spent more than a decade as Dior's public relations director and became one of the most familiar faces in the Paris fashion world, has died at 57. The French house confirmed her death on Tuesday, after reports surfaced the day before that she and her partner, film producer Nicolas Altmayer, 61, had been in a head-on car accident.
A career built across three houses
Favier started out at Chanel in the 1980s before a stint in media at Glamour, then joined Dior Couture from Prada in 2011. Known around the shows for her brunette pixie cut and her energy, she quickly became a constant presence at the brand and across Paris fashion week, working closely with ambassadors including Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Jisoo and Anya Taylor-Joy. Her sister, Victoire de Castellane, has designed jewelry for the house since 1999.
Life outside the shows
In 2024 Favier published a book, Living Beautifully in Paris, built around her relationship with the city and her love of hosting and food. She is survived by two children, Heloise and Carlo, from her marriage to finance executive Robert Agostinelli. Carlo, 23, posted a tribute on Instagram saying his heart was broken and describing his mother as the embodiment of life and the definition of joy.
Tributes from the house she helped define
Dior called her an exceptional woman whose joy and talent were exemplary. Delphine Arnault, chairperson and chief executive of Dior Couture, said the house was losing an incredible professional and that she had lost a loyal friend. Bernard Arnault, chief executive and chairman of LVMH, said he was deeply saddened by the sudden loss of someone who had devoted so many years to the house. Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson remembered her as singularly warm, calling her the embodiment of elegance and, in many ways, the spirit of couture itself.