Maria Grazia Chiuri is stepping down as womenswear artistic director at Christian Dior, the brand confirmed in a short statement Thursday, ending months of speculation.
An elaborate runway spectacle staged at the Villa Albani Torlonia in her hometown of Rome on Tuesday capped a transformative nine-year tenure at LVMH’s second-biggest fashion brand.
Former Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson is widely expected to succeed Chiuri. His debut as artistic director of Dior’s menswear line is slated for June 27th during Paris Fashion Week.
Chiuri, who joined Dior in 2016 from Valentino, has transformed the brand’s image and product offering. Her commercial touch resulted in wearable collections designed to fit into the lives of modern women from day to night, and for work, travel and sport. During her tenure, the label reduced its dependence on the best-selling Lady Dior handbag: a broader menu of hit bags now includes the Book Tote and the Bobby Camera Bag, as well as seasonal editions of the Saddle Bag originally designed by John Galliano.
Chiuri’s shows, many staged in spectacular locations from India to Mexico, consistently celebrated global craftsmanship — broadening the brand’s focus from its specialty in Parisian couture — and were imbued with a message that balanced femininity with female empowerment, often in collaboration with artists.
Sometimes that was more subtle, with silhouettes that achieved the brand’s signature nipped waist through elastic bands rather than punishing corsetry. Other times, it was more direct: her debut show included a T-shirt emblazoned with the title of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s famous essay, “We Should All Be Feminists.” In 2020, she decorated a runway show set with light-up signs by artist Claire Fontaine that said “Consent” and “Patriarchy=Oppression.”
“I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers,” Chiuri said in a statement. “Their talent and expertise allowed me to realize my vision of committed women’s fashion, in close dialogue with several generations of female artists. Together, we have written an impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud.”
Delphine Arnault, Dior’s CEO since 2023, thanked the designer for her “tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity” and contributions to “remarkable growth.”
Estimated sales quadrupled from €2.2 billion ($2.5 billion) in 2017 to €9 billion in 2023, according to HSBC, making Dior one of luxury fashion’s fastest-growing brands.
But the label has since been hit hard by a sharp downturn in luxury demand, which has prompted brands across the industry to seek new creative direction. Chanel, Gucci, Balenciaga and Versace are among the major brands set to unveil refreshed fashion visions under new creative directors in the coming months.
Chiuri’s exit has been a lengthy process, while LVMH worked to reach an agreement on the timing and terms of her departure.
The designer’s next steps in fashion are not known. She is a lifelong lover of theatre and dance, and for now is expected to focus on launching Teatro della Cometa, a 233-seat theatre in Rome that she purchased in 2020 and began restoring three years later.
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