Latest news with #ChristianDior
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior's First Female Creative Director, Is Leaving
TOPSHOT - Models present creatioins for Christian Dior during the 2018/2019 fall/winter collection ... More fashion show on February 27, 2018 in Paris. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP) (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images) Many years from now, Maria Grazia Chiuri's departure may be remembered as the worst-kept secret in fashion. While that may be true, it would be a shame to be so reductive about the Italian fashion designer's time at the storied French Maison, which was founded in 1946 by Monsieur Christian Dior and officially launched in 1947 with the post-war launch of the New Look. Chiuri joined the brand from Valentino, where she worked with work partner Pier Paolo Piccioli in 2016 by replacing Raf Simons' 3 ½ year tenure there. Beyond the soaring profits, the designer brought to the brand a feminine and feminist POV, an active engagement with fine art and Italian culture. Her last show concluded Tuesday in Rome, where she staged a Cinicittà-worthy production to showcase her collection for Cruise 2026 that combined RTW and Haute Couture styles. While not officially confirmed, fashion's second worst-kept secret is that Chiuri will be replaced by JW Anderson, who has departed Loewe and was named Dior's menswear in April. PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 24: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY - For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from ... More Fashion House) Models walk the runway during the finale of the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 24, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by) In a statement to the press, Delphine Arnault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Christian Dior Couture, expressed gratitude to the designer. "I extend my warmest thanks to Maria Grazia Chiuri, who, since her arrival at Dior, has accomplished tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior, which allowed her to design highly desirable collections. She has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior, greatly contributing to its remarkable growth and being the first woman to lead the creation of women's collections." Chiuri also provided a statement in the release. "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 an impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud." A model presents a creation for Dior during the Women's Spring-Summer 2020/2021 Haute Couture ... More collection fashion show in Paris, on January 20, 2020. American artist and feminist pioneer Judy Chicago, at 80, has pulled off the coup of her career by planting a massive temple to the mother goddess that hosted on January 20, 2020 Dior's haute couture fashion show. (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP) (Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images) Undoubtedly, Chiuri addressed several female perspectives during her time at the brand. To name a few, in the Fall 2018 RTW show, she splattered a wall of the show space in Sixties-era female power graffiti in a nod to the 50th anniversary French protests in which women's rights attached themselves to the larger economic and politically motivated civil unrest; in she debuted "we should all be feminists" T-shirts. In another collection for Autumn Winter 2024, the designer referenced the 1967 diffusion line Miss Dior, imagined by Marc Bohan's assistant Phillippe Guibourgé, which struck a note in the mood of France while experiencing its second wave of feminism, primarily credited to Simone de Beauvoir's 1949 The Second Sex tome. In the Spring Summer 2020 collection, Chiuri partnered with feminist art heroine Judy Chicago, who worked with the apprentices of the Chanakya school workshop, with questions such as "What if women ruled the world?" as a female empowerment message. On a side note, she also reintroduced the strength of the brand's famous bar jacket. A model presents a creation for Dior during the 2021 Dior Croisiere (Cruise) fashion show on July ... More 22, 2020 in Lecce, southern Italy. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) Chicago's work is an example of the overlapping theme of feminism and art. Both played a significant role in the work. In a show at the Brooklyn Museum last year, she enlisted art duo Claire Fontaine, the Palermo-based feminist-centric artists Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill, who also designed the Fall/Winter 2020 show space, and highlighted the work of Roman-based, Brooklyn-born artist Suzanne Santoro whose work was on display. The show managed to channel its Parisian Je Ne Sais Quoi via New York's gritty artistic edge, using Marlene Dietrich as a muse and employing each city's famous monuments as prints. The Parisian artist Eva Jospin devised the Chambre de Soie in a nod to the embroidery room of the Palazzo Colonna in Rome, which also referenced Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own in the Haute Couture show in January 2021. Marinella Senatore doused a room with political protest slogans, a la the artwork of Jenny Holzer for a Cruise 2021 show. Italian artisans and culture have also been celebrated. A Puglia-style carnival theme was created for a live-streamed show during the pandemic to honor the artisans who had worked on the collection. A somber, limited-attendance, socially-distance in late 2020 fashion show featured works from Italian artist Lucia Marcucci. This provided the backdrop for an acapella/operatic singing troupe, Sequenza 93, who performed "Sangu di rosa," a choral work by Lucia Ronchetti based on 19th-century Sardinian Voceri that combines classical music with funeral services epithets. Horse-riders perform during the 2019 Dior Croisiere (Cruise) fashion show on May 25, 2018 at the ... More Grandes écuries de Chantilly, near Paris. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images) She didn't always strike the right tone with her show themes. The Cruise 2018 collection, which featured Mexican "escaramuzas" on horseback, struck a nerve with guest Paris Jackson, who couldn't stomach the visibly disturbed horses performing to loud music amid a thunderstorm. Still, it had the cinematic drama and storytelling prevalent at Chiuri's last show in Rome this week. She has bought a theater that she restored, where she will most likely dream up more beautiful fantasies as she did at Dior. Grazie mille, Maria Grazia.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
This ‘Sex and the City' dress achieved cult status. But it has controversial origins
Remember when Carrie Bradshaw of 'Sex and the City' wore a Christian Dior newspaper-print dress? Bradshaw, the fashion-forward sex columnist, played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the television series, defined late 1990s and early 2000s lifestyle aspirations for Gen X women when she and her three friends dominated the small screen from 1998 to 2004. (The television series and sequel aired on HBO and Max, respectively, which share the same parent company as CNN: Warner Bros. Discovery.) Cut on the bias and featuring a newspaper print, the now iconic outfit designed by John Galliano became a piece of fashion legend, courtesy of a scene from season three, episode 17, which saw Bradshaw wearing it while walking in slow motion through the traffic-lined streets of Manhattan. In those brief on-screen moments, the dress — which was from Dior's ready-to-wear autumn-winter 2000 'Fly Girl' collection — assured cult status. In January 2000, Galliano had already been at the helm of Christian Dior for four years, during which he injected the storied French fashion house with an exciting new energy. The British designer had become known for his fantastical collections and elaborate, narrative-driven runway shows. That year, he showed Dior's spring-summer haute couture collection at the Palace of Versailles, the former residence of the French royal family. Against this decadent backdrop, he sent models down the runway in dresses, jackets and pants made to look stretched, slashed and distressed, accessorized with what looked like garbage found on the street — miniature whiskey bottles, for example, and discarded kitchen utensils. Some models were draped in what appeared to be layers of newspapers reimagined as voluminous pants or peeping through sheer slip dresses. The collection, titled 'Hobo,' was inspired both by the displaced people the designer saw while jogging and by the 'Tramp Ball' trend from the 1920s and 30s whereby the wealthy dressed as the homeless for glamorous soirees. In this couture collection, the newspaper print was taken from the fashion pages of the International Herald Tribune. While the fashion press was complimentary of the collection in reviews, controversy soon ensued. Social welfare advocates and French critics were appalled. Was Galliano making a statement on class and privilege with this collection, or mocking the homeless? The homeless community staged protests outside Dior's headquarters in Paris' swanky 8th arrondissement. The opprobrium caused Galliano to release an official apology ten days after the collection debuted, stating, 'I never wanted to make a spectacle of misery.' Nevertheless, at Dior's autumn-winter 2000 ready-to-wear show, newspaper print again made its way into the collection, entitled 'Fly Girl.' However, this time Galliano created the fictional 'Christian Dior Daily' newspaper for the show and the design — inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli's 1935 newsprint pattern — which was seen on the runway printed on chiffon, leather, the lining of coats and on dresses. The garment that Parker would later wear was modeled in the fashion show by Angie Schmidt. In a 'Sex and the City' episode titled 'What Goes Around Comes Around,' which aired in October 2000, Parker's character wore the piece with her signature gold nameplate necklace, black lace Manolo Blahnik heels and a Fendi baguette bag — a vision of the modern New York woman whose glamour outpaced her practicality. While the dress had a controversial 'hobo chic' beginning, on Bradshaw it became emblematic of a new type of heroine — imperfect, neurotic, complicated, messy yet relatable. Twenty-five years on, the cowl-neck slip dress continues to fascinate. At the May premiere of Jenna Ortega's latest film 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' the actor made headlines after she arrived onto the red carpet wearing the archival gown. Ortega took a few cues from Parker's on-screen version (she donned a similar gold pendant necklace and smoky eye makeup) but finished the look with a gold slingback heel. Following its runway debut, the dress went into production. Today, when it shows up on the secondary market or at auctions, it is considered a fashion holy grail, selling for many times its estimate. In December 2024, two identical versions of the historic dress happened to go to auction that same month — the first was at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, and the second at auction house Sotheby's in New York. In both instances, the dress far exceeded its estimated selling price. In London, it fetched £55,000 ($69,000) — nearly tripling its estimate. And in New York, it more than doubled the expected price, selling for $54,000. In an email, Sotheby's told CNN that it acquired the coveted dress from a private collector who purchased it new when the 'Fly Girl' collection was first released nearly 25 years ago. 'It is by John Galliano at his peak during the Dior years. This fact alone makes it a desirable vintage collector's item,' said Lucy Bishop, who oversaw Sotheby's 'Fashion Icons' sale. Galliano later repurposed the print as 'the Galliano Gazette' for his namesake label and has since released several commercial collections featuring the famed motif. None have captured the zeitgeist quite like the original, even though celebrities including Rita Ora have worn an iteration of it. Galliano was fired from Dior in 2011 for a public antisemitic tirade and ousted from his namesake brand a month later. (He later apologized for his behavior.) But his fashion legacy still inspires. More recently, designer Demna (who only goes by his first name) gave his take on newsprint for Balenciaga's spring-summer 2018 collection, covering cardigans and shirts in the motif as a reaction to 'fake news' made famous by Donald Trump's tweets. Newspapers, once only a platform to distribute daily happenings, are continuing to inspire, only in a different guise. With nostalgia for 2000s fashion continuing to rise, the popularity of the design has made its way to mainstream fashion brands, with the likes of Réalisation Par, Shein and Zara all releasing their own versions of the print. So enduring is the style that Bradshaw actually wore the dress again in 2010's 'Sex and the City 2' movie. With the third season of SATC reboot 'And Just Like That…' released this week, whether she'll dig it back out of her closet remains to be seen.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
This ‘Sex and the City' dress achieved cult status. But it has controversial origins
Remember when Carrie Bradshaw of 'Sex and the City' wore a Christian Dior newspaper-print dress? Bradshaw, the fashion-forward sex columnist, played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the television series, defined late 1990s and early 2000s lifestyle aspirations for Gen X women when she and her three friends dominated the small screen from 1998 to 2004. (The television series and sequel aired on HBO and Max, respectively, which share the same parent company as CNN: Warner Bros. Discovery.) Cut on the bias and featuring a newspaper print, the now iconic outfit designed by John Galliano became a piece of fashion legend, courtesy of a scene from season three, episode 17, which saw Bradshaw wearing it while walking in slow motion through the traffic-lined streets of Manhattan. In those brief on-screen moments, the dress — which was from Dior's ready-to-wear autumn-winter 2000 'Fly Girl' collection — assured cult status. In January 2000, Galliano had already been at the helm of Christian Dior for four years, during which he injected the storied French fashion house with an exciting new energy. The British designer had become known for his fantastical collections and elaborate, narrative-driven runway shows. That year, he showed Dior's spring-summer haute couture collection at the Palace of Versailles, the former residence of the French royal family. Against this decadent backdrop, he sent models down the runway in dresses, jackets and pants made to look stretched, slashed and distressed, accessorized with what looked like garbage found on the street — miniature whiskey bottles, for example, and discarded kitchen utensils. Some models were draped in what appeared to be layers of newspapers reimagined as voluminous pants or peeping through sheer slip dresses. The collection, titled 'Hobo,' was inspired both by the displaced people the designer saw while jogging and by the 'Tramp Ball' trend from the 1920s and 30s whereby the wealthy dressed as the homeless for glamorous soirees. In this couture collection, the newspaper print was taken from the fashion pages of the International Herald Tribune. While the fashion press was complimentary of the collection in reviews, controversy soon ensued. Social welfare advocates and French critics were appalled. Was Galliano making a statement on class and privilege with this collection, or mocking the homeless? The homeless community staged protests outside Dior's headquarters in Paris' swanky 8th arrondissement. The opprobrium caused Galliano to release an official apology ten days after the collection debuted, stating, 'I never wanted to make a spectacle of misery.' Nevertheless, at Dior's autumn-winter 2000 ready-to-wear show, newspaper print again made its way into the collection, entitled 'Fly Girl.' However, this time Galliano created the fictional 'Christian Dior Daily' newspaper for the show and the design — inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli's 1935 newsprint pattern — which was seen on the runway printed on chiffon, leather, the lining of coats and on dresses. The garment that Parker would later wear was modeled in the fashion show by Angie Schmidt. In a 'Sex and the City' episode titled 'What Goes Around Comes Around,' which aired in October 2000, Parker's character wore the piece with her signature gold nameplate necklace, black lace Manolo Blahnik heels and a Fendi baguette bag — a vision of the modern New York woman whose glamour outpaced her practicality. While the dress had a controversial 'hobo chic' beginning, on Bradshaw it became emblematic of a new type of heroine — imperfect, neurotic, complicated, messy yet relatable. Twenty-five years on, the cowl-neck slip dress continues to fascinate. At the May premiere of Jenna Ortega's latest film 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' the actor made headlines after she arrived onto the red carpet wearing the archival gown. Ortega took a few cues from Parker's on-screen version (she donned a similar gold pendant necklace and smoky eye makeup) but finished the look with a gold slingback heel. Following its runway debut, the dress went into production. Today, when it shows up on the secondary market or at auctions, it is considered a fashion holy grail, selling for many times its estimate. In December 2024, two identical versions of the historic dress happened to go to auction that same month — the first was at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, and the second at auction house Sotheby's in New York. In both instances, the dress far exceeded its estimated selling price. In London, it fetched £55,000 ($69,000) — nearly tripling its estimate. And in New York, it more than doubled the expected price, selling for $54,000. In an email, Sotheby's told CNN that it acquired the coveted dress from a private collector who purchased it new when the 'Fly Girl' collection was first released nearly 25 years ago. 'It is by John Galliano at his peak during the Dior years. This fact alone makes it a desirable vintage collector's item,' said Lucy Bishop, who oversaw Sotheby's 'Fashion Icons' sale. Galliano later repurposed the print as 'the Galliano Gazette' for his namesake label and has since released several commercial collections featuring the famed motif. None have captured the zeitgeist quite like the original, even though celebrities including Rita Ora have worn an iteration of it. Galliano was fired from Dior in 2011 for a public antisemitic tirade and ousted from his namesake brand a month later. (He later apologized for his behavior.) But his fashion legacy still inspires. More recently, designer Demna (who only goes by his first name) gave his take on newsprint for Balenciaga's spring-summer 2018 collection, covering cardigans and shirts in the motif as a reaction to 'fake news' made famous by Donald Trump's tweets. Newspapers, once only a platform to distribute daily happenings, are continuing to inspire, only in a different guise. With nostalgia for 2000s fashion continuing to rise, the popularity of the design has made its way to mainstream fashion brands, with the likes of Réalisation Par, Shein and Zara all releasing their own versions of the print. So enduring is the style that Bradshaw actually wore the dress again in 2010's 'Sex and the City 2' movie. With the third season of SATC reboot 'And Just Like That…' released this week, whether she'll dig it back out of her closet remains to be seen.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Who is Maria Grazia Chiuri's daughter, Rachele Regini? Dior's creative director of womenswear is stepping down – but what about the maison's lesser-known cultural adviser and her feminist influence?
After months of speculation, French luxury house Dior announced on May 29 that Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri is stepping down as its creative director of womenswear after nine years. Maria Grazia Chiuri at the Dior 2026 cruise collection show at Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome, on May 27. Photo: Reuters 'I extend my warmest thanks to Maria Grazia Chiuri, who since her arrival at Dior, has accomplished tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior, which allowed her to design highly desirable collections,' Christian Dior couture chairman and CEO Delphine Arnault said in a statement. 'She has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior, greatly contributing to its remarkable growth and being the first woman to lead the creation of women's collections.' Advertisement After 17 years at Valentino, Chiuri, 61, joined Dior in 2016 as the first woman to helm the storied fashion house since its founding in 1947. While her successor has yet to be named, many speculate that Jonathan Anderson – former Loewe creative director, and artistic director of Dior menswear since April – will succeed Chiuri. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Rachele Regini with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, at this month's reopening of Teatro della Cometa. Photo: @mariagraziachiur/Instagram Outside her work in fashion, the lifelong lover of the arts just finished restoring a historic theatre with help from her daughter Rachele Regini. Located in Rome, Teatro della Cometa was bought by Chiuri in 2020 and reopened this month. But what else do we know about Maria Grazia Chiuri's daughter, Rachele Regini? Read on to find out. She graduated from a prestigious university Maria Grazia Chiuri shared this childhood photo of Rachele Regini on her daughter's birthday in 2024. Photo: @mariagraziachiuri/Instagram Chiuri met her husband, Paolo Regini, a shirtmaker with his own atelier in Rome, on holiday in Sardinia. The couple road-tripped across America for their honeymoon, per W magazine. They went on to welcome son Niccolò and daughter Rachele. Rachele has a bachelor's degree in art history, and a master's in gender, media and culture from Goldsmiths, University of London.
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Maria Grazia Chiuri Leaves Dior After Nine Years, What's Next For The Luxury Brand?
Last Updated: After nine years, Maria Grazia Chiuri has stepped down from her role as the Creative Director at Dior. The French luxury fashion house has not announced a successor yet. French luxury fashion house Christian Dior's artistic director of womenswear Maria Grazia Chiuri has officially stepped down after nine years. Her departure comes months after industry speculation. She ended her tenure at Dior with a grand fashion show that was held at the historic Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome. Taking to her Instagram, Maria Grazia Chiuri reflected on her nine-year tenure at Dior. She penned a note on her departure. She wrote, '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 realise 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." Take a look at the note shared by Maria here. Maria took the creative helm at Dior in 2016 after her time at Valentino. She played a pivotal role in reshaping the house's image and offerings to better align with the lives of contemporary women. Under her direction, Dior diversified its accessories portfolio, moving beyond its long-standing dependence on the Lady Dior handbag. New icons such as the Book Tote and the Bobby Camera Bag emerged, alongside revived seasonal editions of the Saddle Bag, originally designed by John Galliano. Her creative vision extended well beyond clothing. Her shows, often held in evocative global settings like India and Mexico, celebrated artisanal craftsmanship and wove in strong feminist messaging. From the soft tailoring that subtly challenged traditional corsets to bold declarations like the 'We Should All Be Feminists' T-shirt, her collections championed a thoughtful blend of beauty and advocacy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dior Official (@dior) top videos View all While the brand has not officially announced its new creative director, Reuters mentioned that Jonathan Anderson is widely speculated to be the frontrunner to succeed Maria. Best known for his transformative work at Loewe, he is expected to debut as the brand's menswear artistic director on June 27 at the Paris Fashion Week. This transition comes at a time when the luxury fashion industry is grappling with a global slowdown, prompting a wave of creative changes at some of its most storied houses, including Chanel, Gucci, and Balenciaga. While Chiuri's next chapter remains under wraps, she continues to invest in the arts. Currently, she is dedicating her efforts to restoring Rome's Teatro della Cometa, a historic 233-seat theatre she acquired in 2020, signalling her enduring commitment to culture and craftsmanship beyond the runway. Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: May 30, 2025, 10:30 IST News lifestyle Maria Grazia Chiuri Leaves Dior After Nine Years, What's Next For The Luxury Brand?
