French film producer Nicolas Altmayer and Dior public relations chief Mathilde Favier died in a car accident on August 17, 2026, in the Deux-Sèvres department near Niort, western France [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The couple was overtaking another vehicle when their car collided head-on with an oncoming truck [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. An official investigation has been opened into possible involuntary manslaughter by French authorities [2, 3, 4, 6, 8].
Mathilde Favier was 57 years old and had headed public relations for Dior since 2011 [1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 5, 11, 6, 12, 7, 8]. She previously worked at Prada and collaborated with celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence, Anya Taylor-Joy, and BLACKPINK member Jisoo [2, 3, 4, 11, 6, 12, 8]. Favier had two children with her former husband, billionaire finance executive Robert Agostinelli [2, 3, 4, 6]. In 2024, she published the coffee table book "Living Beautifully in Paris" [2, 3, 4, 6, 8].
Nicolas Altmayer was 61 and a noted French film producer. He co-headed Mandarin & Compagnie with his brother Eric and produced films including the OSS 117 series, Brice De Nice, and The Conquest. The brothers received the Daniel Toscan du Plantier Prize in 2017 for their work [1, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Tributes came from across the entertainment, fashion, and political worlds. Actor Jean Dujardin said, "Nicolas, Mathilde, you loved each other, we loved you. Immense sadness and shock. My thoughts are with your families." LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault praised Favier, saying she "devoted so many years of her life to putting her passion, energy and talent at the service of Dior." Dior Creative Director Jonathan Anderson called her "one of the happiest, kindest, most generous people," adding, "You will be deeply missed. I owe her so much; her work and devotion deserve to be forever remembered." French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard remarked that Favier "embodied another form of French greatness: that of fashion and luxury" [1, 2, 5, 6, 7].
BLACKPINK member Jisoo, who had a close relationship with Favier, expressed deep sorrow, saying, "I find no words to say goodbye. From the start of my journey with Dior, Mathilde greeted me with warmth and kindness. I will forever treasure our memories. This goodbye is even harder now" [9, 10, 11, 6, 12, 8].
Dior publicly announced the deaths and issued tributes on August 18. Jisoo also posted condolences and shared memories of Favier on social media that day [2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 6, 12, 8]. The French investigation into the crash continues.
