Maria Grazia Chiuri Steps Down as Dior Women’s Artistic Director

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Summary

  • Maria Grazia Chiuri has announced her exit as creative director for Dior’s womenswear and couture after nine years
  • The Cruise 2026 show in Rome was her last at Dior
  • As Dior’s first female creative director, she championed a distinctly feminist approach and oversaw significant commercial success, including quadrupling couture sales

Maria Grazia Chiuri has revealed that she will be leaving her position as creative director for Dior’s women’s fashion and haute couture lines, marking a notable change within the luxury fashion industry. This announcement comes shortly after her Cruise 2026 show in Rome, which is now known to be her last collection for this prestigious French brand.

In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri became the first female creative director at Dior since the brand’s establishment in 1947. Known for her feminist approach, she infused empowering messages and collaborated extensively with female artists for her runway show designs. She also emphasized a romantic and relaxed vibe in her collections, often drawing inspiration from lesser-explored areas of the Dior archive. During her tenure, Dior experienced substantial commercial growth, particularly in couture sales which quadrupled. The French fashion house expressed their gratitude to Chiuri by stating, “We are deeply grateful for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s exceptional work as creative director of women’s collections since 2016.” Delphine Arnault, the chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, added, “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Maria Grazia Chiuri. Since joining Dior, she has made significant contributions with her inspiring feminist perspective, exceptional creativity, and a touch that embodies the spirit of Monsieur Dior. Her work has written an important chapter in Christian Dior’s history, significantly contributing to its remarkable growth and being the first woman to lead the creation of women’s collections.

Although Dior hasn’t announced who will succeed Chiuri as the creative director for the womenswear line yet, there’s a lot of buzz that Jonathan Anderson, newly appointed as the creative director for Dior Men (previously held by Kim Jones), might also assume this role. Chiuri, filled with pride about her achievements at Dior, expressed gratitude towards Monsieur Arnault and Delphine Arnault for their faith in her abilities. She acknowledged the skills of her teams and the ateliers, stating that they played a crucial role in helping her bring to life “women’s fashion committed to a cause.” Chiuri’s farewell message at Dior conveys her thanks to Monsieur Arnault for his trust and Delphine for her support. She is especially thankful for the work done by her teams and the ateliers, whose talent and expertise enabled her to express her vision of fashion that supports women, in close collaboration with various generations of female artists. Together, they have penned a significant chapter that Chiuri is extremely proud of.

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2025-05-29 14:25