Tributes are pouring in for Dior’s Mathilde Favier and her partner ‘Brice de Nice’ producer Nicolas Altmayer who tragically died yesterday, Monday 17 August 2026, in a car accident near Airvault in the Deux-Sèvres department of western France.
The two much-loved figures from the worlds of French fashion and cinema, were involved in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle travelling in the opposite direction, according to the Niort prosecutor’s office.
Favier, the celebrated Dior public relations executive was 57 and acclaimed French film producer Altmayer was 61. Both passed away at the scene.
Dior mourns an “exceptional woman”
Dior has dedicated three Instagram posts to Favier, who was one of the most respected and warmly regarded figures working behind the scenes in international fashion.
In the first post, Dior said is was “deeply saddened to announce the accidental death of Mathilde Favier. In her role as Director of Public Relations, Mathilde Favier made an incredible contribution to the reputation of Christian Dior Couture through her commitment and elegance.
“She was an exceptional woman whose communicative joy, talent and loyalty were exemplary.”
Delphine Arnault, Chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, said: “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.”
In the second post, Delphine’s father Bernard Arnault – Chairman and CEO of LVMH which owns Dior – said: “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.”
Dior’s creative director Jonathan Anderson wrote: “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.”
Who was Mathilde Favier?
Born and raised in Paris, Favier began her fashion career at Chanel, where she worked alongside her sister, Victoire de Castellane, now Dior’s creative director of fine jewellery, and their uncle Gilles Dufour, a longtime collaborator of Karl Lagerfeld.
She subsequently spent 11 years at Prada before joining Dior, where she became an important link between the creative studio and the international stars who wore its designs.
She worked closely with prominent Dior ambassadors including Blackpink singer Jisoo and actress Anya Taylor-Joy, frequently appearing beside them as they arrived amid the crowds, cameras and commotion surrounding the house’s fashion shows.
Today, many paid tribute to how well she protected and cared for them. South-Korean singer Jisoo posted a white dove emoji this afternoon on the first Dior announcement (signifying Rest In Peace). Anya has not yet publicly responded.
Favier was also the author of Mathilde à Paris, published in English as ‘Living Beautifully in Paris’, and promoted as a Parisian Tour according to “the queen of Paris”. Just two days ago, Mathilde posted gorgeous photos on the page of a gathering at the beach.
French singer Carla Bruni posted a heartfelt message on Facebook, describing just who Mathilde Favier was to so many people. She said: “My dear Mathilde, this morning I am in disbelief: how is it possible that you left us like this? You were like a ray of sunshine in the lives of your friends and family; you were radiant, joyful, and always happy, even during the darkest of times. You were a wonderful friend, a loving and generous mother, sister, and daughter; you loved deeply. Now you and your Nicolas are reunited for eternity.”
Nicolas Altmayer’s enduring connection to the Riviera
For audiences on the French Riviera, Nicolas Altmayer will be particularly remembered as one of the producers behind ‘Brice de Nice’, the eccentric 2005 comedy that transformed Jean Dujardin’s yellow-clad, wave-obsessed character into a French cultural phenomenon.
Set in Nice and filmed at locations including Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Mandelieu-la-Napoule and the Studios de la Victorine, the film became France’s most popular domestic movie of 2005.
Its comic premise was inseparable from the Riviera: a would-be surfer living beside Nice’s famously calm Mediterranean waters, waiting devotedly for the great wave that may never arrive.
Altmayer later produced the equally irreverent follow-up, ‘Brice 3’, released in 2016.
Together with his brother Éric, Altmayer founded the Paris-based production company Mandarin Cinéma, later known as Mandarin & Compagnie. Across a prolific career spanning three decades, the brothers helped bring more than 80 films to the screen.
A familiar figure at Cannes
Altmayer’s career repeatedly brought him to the Cannes Film Festival.
François Ozon’s ‘Young & Beautiful’ competed for the Palme d’Or in 2013, while Bertrand Bonello’s ‘Saint Laurent’, also produced by Altmayer, entered the Festival’s main competition the following year.
The third film in the popular spy-spoof series, ‘OSS 117: From Africa with Love’, was selected to close the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2017, Nicolas and Éric Altmayer received the prestigious Prix Daniel Toscan du Plantier, awarded by France’s Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma in recognition of outstanding film production.
From the colourful Riviera world of ‘Brice de Nice’ to some of the most celebrated French films presented at Cannes, Nicolas Altmayer leaves an enduring mark on French cinema.
Mathilde Favier and Nicolas Altmayer inhabited different creative worlds, but both performed roles whose true importance was often found behind the scenes: supporting talent, building relationships and bringing creative visions to life.
Their sudden deaths have left the French worlds of cinema, fashion and luxury united in grief.
Our thoughts are with their children, families, friends and colleagues.
Sources: Screen Daily, WWD, Festival de Cannes here, Dior’s page on Instagram, and Cineuropa.
