Maria Grazia Chiuri Exits Dior After A Decade Of Putting Feminist Values At The Heart Of the Brand
This just in: Maria Grazia Chiuri is officially leaving Dior.
The creative director is stepping down after almost a decade at the house, confirming months of speculation that she would be exiting after the brand's Cruise 2026 show in Rome this week. While no successor has been announced, former Loewe creative chief Jonathan Anderson is tipped to step into the role.
Chiuri, who succeeded Raf Simons as creative director of ready-to-wear, accessories and couture in 2016, became the first woman creative to helm the storied French couture house, ushering a bold new era for the brand that focused on imbuing Dior, known for its feminine sensibility, with feminist values to match.
She often incorporated feminist messaging into collections, while also collaborating with women artists and artisans from all over the world on clothing creations and show sets, spotlighting both their heritage and craftsmanship to a global audience. (Under her leadership, Dior quickly became known for its travelling shows, staging catwalk extravaganzas in locations ranging from Scotland to Mexico to Greece and India.)
Her designs, meanwhile, prioritised wearability, reimagining many of the codes and signatures of Christian Dior himself for the modern woman. 'Mr Dior created construction for women which was more conservative — women moved their bodies less at that time. My obsession is making pieces which are easy to wear, using technology but also couture know-how,' she told ELLE UK at a pre-show preview last September.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes she worked hard to champion gender equality, kickstarting initiatives like the brand's mentoring programme, Women@Dior, run in partnership with the United Nations' UNESCO. Before joining Dior, Chiuri spent 17 years at Valentino, rising to become the Roman brand's co-creative director alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli, her long-term creative collaborator and friend.
In a statement Delphine Arnault thanked Chiuri for her her 'tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior'.
'I would like to thank Monsieur Arnault for placing his trust in me and Delphine for her support,' Chiuri said. 'I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers. Their talent and expertise allowed me to realise 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.'
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