French Industry Leaders Die
Prominent French Producer Nicolas Altmayer, Dior Executive Mathilde Favier Die in Western France Crash
Key Points
The crash occurred on a departmental road in Airvault, Deux-Sèvres, around 4 p.m., when the couple’s car collided head-on with a heavy goods vehicle while overtaking another vehicle.
Nicolas Altmayer was 61 and Mathilde Favier was 57 at the time of their deaths.
Mathilde Favier played a key role in Dior’s VIP relations and, beyond fashion PR duties, coordinated relationships with high-profile figures such as Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence.
Favier had an Instagram presence of about 242,000 followers and published the coffee-table book Living Beautifully in Paris in 2024.
Nicolas Altmayer co-founded Mandarin & Compagnie (with his brother Éric) and produced a wide range of notable films beyond OSS 117, including Brice de Nice, Young & Beautiful, Saint Laurent, Alpha and Monsieur Aznavour; he and Éric received the César Academy’s Daniel Toscan du Plantier Award in 2017.
French film producer Nicolas Altmayer and Dior PR director Mathilde Favier died on August 17 in a head-on crash with a heavy goods truck on a departmental road near Airvault, in the Deux-Sèvres region of western France, according to France 24. The collision happened around 4 p.m. as their car attempted to overtake another vehicle. Both were killed on impact.
Altmayer was 61. Favier was 57. Their deaths sent immediate shock through two of France's most prominent industries — cinema and luxury fashion, according to Fashion Week Daily.
How the Crash Unfolded on a Rural French Road
The crash took place on a departmental road — a regional route outside major highways — near Airvault in Deux-Sèvres. According to France 24, the couple's car collided head-on with an oncoming truck while passing another vehicle. The prosecutor, Nicolas Leclainche, confirmed the details of the collision.
Investigators opened a case for involuntary manslaughter to determine the exact cause, according to Head Topics. That is a standard legal step in France when a fatal accident's circumstances are still being examined. No charges have been filed.
Nicolas Altmayer Built Decades of French Cinema
Altmayer co-founded Mandarin & Compagnie alongside his brother Éric. The production company became a fixture of French cinema. Its films included the comedy hits OSS 117 and Brice de Nice, as well as acclaimed dramas like Young & Beautiful, Saint Laurent, and Monsieur Aznavour, according to Morning Chronicle.
In 2017, Nicolas and Éric Altmayer received the César Academy's Daniel Toscan du Plantier Award — one of the French film industry's top honors. He also worked closely with director François Ozon across multiple projects, according to France 24.
Mathilde Favier Was the Face of Dior's VIP World
Favier joined Dior in 2011 and rose to become director of public relations for Dior Couture, according to Fashion Week Daily. She managed relationships with some of the world's most high-profile figures — including Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence — making her one of fashion's most connected insiders.
Beyond her PR role, Favier had built a public profile of her own. She had around 242,000 Instagram followers and published a coffee-table book, Living Beautifully in Paris, in 2024, according to Head Topics. She was widely seen as a symbol of Parisian elegance both inside and outside the industry.
Dior and the Arnaults Lead an Outpouring of Tributes
Dior publicly mourned Favier after news of the crash broke. Bernard Arnault — head of LVMH, Dior's parent group — and his daughter Delphine Arnault both offered personal condolences, according to Yahoo Finance. Their statements highlighted Favier's energy, influence, and irreplaceable role at the house.
Tributes also poured in from across the French film world for Altmayer. The two deaths together left a double void — one in cinema, one in fashion — that colleagues described as devastating, according to France 24.
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