Christian Dior Names Maria Grazia Chiuri As First Female Designer

After eight months, the Paris-based couture brand Christian Dior has finally replaced Raf Simons. After announcing her departure from Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been named to Dior’s top post.

The move makes Chiuri the first female designer of Dior in the brand’s 70 year history. Having recently made headlines for tapping their first male ambassador with A$AP Rocky as well as collaborating with a female ambassador for the first time with Rihanna, the label has been rife with changes. This latest is definitely a welcome one as it breaks down the boy’s club that holds the top jobs at major European luxury houses.
Chiuri is known most notably for the 17 years she spent at Valentino. There, along with Pierpaolo Piccioli the creative partner she’s worked with for a quarter of a century, she ascended to the creative director role. Prior to that, the pair revitalized accessories at Fendi. But now Piccioli will direct Valentino alone while Chiuri starts her tenure at Dior.
It will be interesting to see how Chiuri’s aesthetic develops now that she is alone. What do you think? Was she the right pick for Dior?