A Shared Philosophy
IN CONVERSATION WITH KRISTINA ROMANOVA AND KIM JONES
By Matthew Neale
The partnership between Aman and Kim Jones began long before the first sketch, stitch or conversation. It grew from a shared philosophy and countless years of travel and exploration. Kim, after all, has experienced more than 30 Aman destinations around the world. “I’m a proper Aman Junkie,” he confesses. It was this deep personal connection to Aman, as much as his celebrated career in fashion, that made Kim the natural collaborator. As Kristina Romanova, CEO of Aman Essentials, notes, “He understands the world of understated luxury better than anyone else."
This is Aman’s first major designer collaboration, and in many ways, Kim was the only real choice. Not just because of his legacy in fashion, but because of the alignment in values. “We wanted to see how Kim would translate the Aman universe into wearable form,” Kristina says. “This collection reflects Aman’s signature architectural purity and understated elegance."
“We wanted to see how Kim would translate the Aman universe into wearable form.”
The result is Aman x Kim Jones, a collection shaped by the idea of Lines of Passage: the routes we travel, the landscapes we move through, and the moments that connect them. The wardrobe is designed for movement, ease, and elegance, defined by silhouette and subtle detail. “There’s always a sporty element to the Aman world,” Kim reflects. “When you’re at Aman outside of cities you’re either doing a gym class or snorkelling or going on a hike. So there’s a lot of practicality within the clothes there.” From the outset, the intention was to create something that could move across the breadth of Aman environments: the stillness of the desert, the crisp air of alpine mornings, the edge of a rainforest, or the intimacy of a city retreat. “You can always find pieces which you can layer depending on climate and temperature,” Kristina says. “You will always find a wardrobe for the occasion.”
This versatility is more than aesthetic. It's built into the collection’s DNA. “The intention behind this collection was to create pieces that move with you through life and different environments,” she adds.
"The intention behind this collection was to create pieces that move with you through life and different environments."
The two worked closely, sharing references, ideas, and visual cues that connected their design instincts with the Aman world. “It was really easy to work with Kim on the design process,” Kristina says. “He was leading the conversation, and I would come back with my comments and pictures and just worked on it collectively.” Kim agrees. “Kristina would come and be like, you need a bit more of this or a bit more of that. And when we work with people, we listen to that and react to it. It was very straightforward.”
That ease is evident in the final garments, they feel instinctive, not overthought. There’s a clarity to the design, a kind of quiet intelligence. Some colour stories came directly from Kim’s own travels. “I took the colours from the (luggage) tags of my favourite Amans,” he explains. “I have a bag full of all the luggage tags, and each Aman has a separate one.”
Kristina expands on that. “You can find these colours in different Aman destinations, whether it’s an mineral blue, or goji berry red, or olive greens. It’s all connected to different seasons and the tones of different places.”
Materiality was just as intentional. Both Kim and Kristina emphasised the importance of using responsible, low-impact fabrics. “It was important to choose sustainable fabrics for this collection because both myself and Kim, we love nature, we respect nature, and we really care about the future of our planet”.
In many ways, the collection mirrors the Aman experience itself: thoughtful, refined and quietly assured. “There is a true feeling of understated luxury, and this collection celebrates the architectural purity of Aman,” Kim says. It is not about spectacle, but about balance, function and emotional clarity.
The partnership also extends beyond the Aman constellation into the spaces of Dover Street Market, a leader in fashion retail and in store installations. “It was such an incredible opportunity to partner with Dover Street Market for this collection,” Kristina says. “They know how to support emerging talents, but also how to reimagine established brands.”
Ultimately, the collaboration is about extension, taking the Aman philosophy beyond the resort and into everyday life. “Aman Essentials’ goal is to be an extension of the Aman experience,” Kristina says. “And with this collection, we want to see how these garments will live beyond Aman holidays.”
It is a wardrobe for those who travel not just to move, but to feel, to connect with a place, with nature and with themselves. As Kim puts it: “For me, it encapsulates the spirit of adventure of Aman.”
The Aman x Kim Jones collection is available now at selected Aman destinations, Dover Street Market, and online.