In one of those " the handwriting's on the wall" and "everybody saw it coming" moments, Christian Dior has officially announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri is leaving the famous French fashion house. It really was only a matter of time after all of the designer shakeups lately. Like Jonathan Anderson exiting Loewe to tackle the Dior Men collections.
Chiuri began her career as a handbag designer over at Fendi in 1989. (That may be why she reintroduced Dior's Saddle Bag to the masses.) Then it was on to Valentino in 1999 to create all kinds of accessories. In 2008, she, along with Pierpaolo Piccioli, received a promotion to co-creative director of Valentino. Chiuri branched out on her own by taking the top role at Dior in 2016, the first woman to ever lead the house. Her nine-year tenure was filled with displays of women's empowerment. Remember those "We should all be feminists" tees? She managed to increase sales until the current luxury slowdown, which has impacted practically every high-end brand.
"After nine years, I am leaving Dior, delighted to have been given this extraordinary opportunity. I would like to thank Monsieur Arnault for placing his trust in me and Delphine for her support. I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers. 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 a remarkable and impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud," Chiuri posted on Instagram.
A successor has yet to be named so we have plenty of time to obsess over who will fill the role next. Not to mention where Chiuri will land.
