Latest news with #Greco-Roman
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Ethereal, dreamy, poetic: Looking back at Maria Grazia Chiuri's final Dior show
The fog drifted in over the manicured lawns of the Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome just as the Dior Cruise 2026 show began, lending what was already a somewhat surreal moment an extra-otherworldly air. All the female guests wore white, even Natalie Portman and Rosamund Pike; the men, black. As they entered the verdant inner courtyard of the private manse, with its collection of Greco-Roman antiquities, they walked past dancers posed like moving statuary. When the first models appeared, to the strains of a live orchestra, light rain began to fall. Along with the mist, it made the clothes, almost all ivory and often so light as to be practically transparent, seem ghostly (even for someone watching through the computer screen): an ethereal stew of references in lace, silk and velvet – with the occasional tailcoat – to different periods in history and imagination. In a video call before the show, the designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri, said she had been after what she called 'beautiful confusion', the phrase (co-screenwriter) Ennio Flaiano originally suggested as a title for (director Federico) Fellini's 8 1/2 . It was an apt description, not just of the collection itself, which seemed made for phantoms slipping from one era into the next, but also of the question mark surrounding her own situation. Read more: What led to Jonathan Anderson's sudden appointment as head of Dior menswear? Chiuri had nominally brought Dior back to her home city to celebrate the romantic spirits that formed her (and helped shape fashion), from La Cinecitta to director Pier Paolo Pasolini and Mimi Pecci-Blunt, an early 20th-century patroness of the arts who built a private theatre Chuiri recently restored. But she also brought herself and her audience full circle, back to the place she began. To do so, she enlisted a host of collaborators: the Tirelli costume house, director Matteo Garrone (who made a short film in honour of the collection), artist Pietro Ruffo, Dutch choreographers Imre and Marne Van Opstal. If that sounds like a lot to cram into what was essentially a 20-minute fashion experience, it was on purpose. It is widely accepted in fashion that this was Chiuri's last show for Dior. That in a matter of days the house will announce she is leaving after nine years and will be replaced by Jonathan Anderson, who recently joined Dior as artistic director of menswear. Note: This story was written before the announcement of her exit. LVMH, which owns the house, has not addressed the rumours, and when asked directly, Chiuri simply said, 'Oh, I don't answer this question.' It's too bad. The lack of clarity about her future, combined with the actual fog, gave an ambiguous edge to what could have been a triumphant farewell. Instead it seemed like a vaguely elegiac swan song. Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior waves at the end of the Dior Cruise 2026 womenswear show at Villa Albani Torlonia, in Rome. Photo: AFP Maybe they are hedging for legal reasons. Maybe Chiuri, who has the thick skin and stubbornness of many pioneers, didn't want it to be nostalgic or sentimental. But while the collection was lovely and she got a standing ovation, it could have been so much more. It could have been an exclamation point at the end of what will surely be seen as a meaningful era in the life span of a major brand. A celebration of the contribution of the first woman to run the house. Such a farewell is not unheard-of in fashion, even if designers now turn over so often and so brusquely that it seems rarer than not. Tom Ford ended his Gucci period with a shower of pink rose petals, a standing ovation and Nothing Compares 2 U . Dries Van Noten went out on a silver foil runway with a giant disco ball to commemorate the moment. There's nothing wrong with designers being recognised for what they brought to a brand, even if, as in this case, the decision to part ways doesn't seem to be entirely mutual. Especially a designer like Chiuri, who both helped grow Dior to what is estimated to be close to US$9bil (approximately RM38.2bil) in revenue and expanded its identity more than anyone may have realised. She is quoted in the documentary Her Dior – a study of Chiuri's work with female artists directed by Loïc Prigent and released in March (an early sign, perhaps, of legacy building) – saying she knew what she was doing. She did. She used her power and position, the financial might of her company, not just to assert a somewhat hackneyed feminism (who could forget the slogan tees or the weird playsuits under princess dresses?), but also to support a variety of female artists as well as a panoply of artisans. To insist on the radical idea that craft belonged on the same level as couture. And, perhaps most significantly of all, to break the stranglehold of the "new look". Indeed, in Her Dior , Chiuri said she told the Dior executives when she was hired that the brand's most signature silhouette, with its cinching and constriction of the female figure, was not for her. Read more: A look back at Jonathan Anderson's star-studded legacy of dressing celebrities To look back at her collections is to see her methodically dismantling it. She did so first by going through the motions of loosening the stays – figuring out how to preserve the shape without the restrictive underpinnings – and then by eschewing it entirely. Her strength as a designer wasn't in the giant productions that surrounded her collections but in the internal magic she worked with construction and material. It's why her work often seemed more enticing in previews, experienced up close, than on the runway, where it could look banal. It is worth noting that there was not a single bar jacket in the whole cruise show. Or a high heel. Instead it was strewed with Easter eggs that suggested a finale: references to Chiuri-isms past (to the short film she and Garrone made during Covid-19 and to the dancers she had included in other shows); to a possible future (her work with the Roman theatre); to the goodbye of her colleague, former Dior menswear designer Kim Jones, who resigned after his January show (as in that show, some of Chiuri's models were wearing blindfolds). Even the inclusion of 31 couture looks among the ready-to-wear seemed a last word of sorts. Couture is the next season on the womenswear schedule, and it would have been Chiuri's next collection, if there actually were one. For now there was just the Cruise 2026 show's closing look: an extraordinary gown micro-beaded to resemble a trompe l'oeil heroic torso. Or a relic, perhaps, of a time gone by. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar's Shahin wins Greco-Roman gold at Ulaanbaatar Open
Team Qatar made headlines at the Ulaanbaatar Open Wrestling Ranking Series event in Mongolian capital on Thursday as Shahin Eidimohammad Badaghimofrad clinched gold in the 82kg Greco-Roman category. Earlier, Shahin was handed a default victory in the second round, after Turkish wrestler Burhan Akbudak withdrew due to an injury. In the final, the 23-year-old Qatari wrestler dominated his Indian opponent Prince Prince with a decisive 9-0 victory, earning a well-deserved gold medal.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Dior's First Female Designer Says Farewell
The tenure of Dior's first female designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri, formally came to an end on Thursday with an announcement that she was leaving the brand after nine years. It had been rumored for months, so it surprised no one. Really it had ended two days before in Rome, with a cruise show. One that encapsulated all she had brought to the house. Even if she didn't admit it, she clearly had designed it that way. It's one way to have the last word. Indeed, the fog that drifted in over the manicured lawns of the Villa Albani Torlonia in Rome just as the show began lent what was already a surreal moment an extra-otherworldly air. Ms. Chiuri had requested that all of the female guests wear white, even Natalie Portman and Rosamund Pike; the men, black. As they entered the verdant inner courtyard of the private manse, with its collection of Greco-Roman antiquities, they walked past dancers posed like moving statuary. When the first models appeared, to the strains of a live orchestra, light rain began to fall. Along with the mist, it made the clothes, almost all ivory and often so light as to be practically transparent, seem ghostly (even for someone like me, watching through the computer screen): an ethereal stew of references in lace, silk and velvet — with the occasional tailcoat — to different periods in history and imagination. In a video call before the show, Ms. Chiuri said she had been after what she called 'beautiful confusion,' the phrase the screenwriter Ennio Flaiano originally suggested as a title for Fellini's '8½.' It was an apt description, not just of the collection itself, which seemed made for phantoms slipping from one era into the next, but also of what was then a question mark surrounding her own position. Ms. Chiuri had nominally brought Dior back to her home city to celebrate the romantic spirits that formed her (and helped shape fashion), from La Cinecittà to the director Pier Paolo Pasolini and Mimì Pecci-Blunt, an early 20th-century patroness of the arts who had built a private theater Ms. Chuiri recently restored. But she also brought herself and her audience full circle, back to the place she began. To do so, she enlisted a host of collaborators: the Tirelli costume house, the director Matteo Garrone (who made a short film in honor of the collection), the artist Pietro Ruffo, the Dutch choreographers Imre and Marne van Opstal. If that sounds like a lot to cram into what was essentially a 20-minute fashion experience, it was on purpose. At that point, no one was admitting that she was about to leave — not even her. When asked directly, Ms. Chiuri had simply said, 'Oh, I don't answer this question.' Now everyone knows the answer. Still, it's too bad no one had been willing to acknowledge it sooner. Because the lack of clarity about Ms Chiuri's future, combined with the actual fog, merely gave an ambiguous edge to what could have been a triumphant farewell. Turned it into a vaguely elegiac swan song. Maybe Ms. Chiuri, who has the thick skin and stubbornness of many pioneers, didn't want it to be nostalgic or sentimental. But while the collection was lovely and she got a standing ovation, it could have been so much more. It could have been an exclamation point at the end of what will surely be seen as a meaningful era in the life span of a major brand. A celebration of the contribution of the first woman to run the house. Such a farewell is not unheard-of in fashion, even if designers now turn over so often and so brusquely that it seems rarer than not. Tom Ford ended his Gucci period with a shower of pink rose petals, a standing ovation and 'Nothing Compares 2 U.' Dries Van Noten went out on a silver foil runway with a giant disco ball to commemorate the moment. There's nothing wrong with designers being recognized for what they brought to a brand, even if, as in this case, the decision to part ways doesn't seem to have been entirely mutual. (In the announcement of her departure, the decision was cast as Ms, Chiuri's.) Especially a designer like Ms. Chiuri, who both helped grow Dior to what is estimated to be close to $9 billion in revenue and expanded its identity more than anyone may have realized. She is quoted in the documentary 'Her Dior' — a study of Ms. Chiuri's work with female artists directed by Loïc Prigent and released in March (an early sign, perhaps, of legacy building) — saying she knew what she was doing. She did. As Delphine Arnault, the chief executive of Dior, said in the news release about Ms. Chiuri's departure, 'She has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior.' She used her power and position, the financial might of her company, not just to assert a somewhat hackneyed feminism (who could forget the slogan tees or the weird playsuits under princess dresses?), but also to support a variety of female artists as well as a panoply of artisans. To insist on the radical idea that craft belonged on the same level as couture. And, perhaps most significantly of all, to break the stranglehold of the New Look. In 'Her Dior,' Ms. Chiuri said she told the Dior executives when she was hired that the brand's most signature silhouette, with its cinching and constriction of the female figure, was not for her. To look back at her collections is to see her methodically dismantling it. She did so first by going through the motions of loosening the stays — figuring out how to preserve the shape without the restrictive underpinnings — and then by eschewing it entirely. Her strength as a designer wasn't in the giant productions that surrounded her collections but in the internal magic she worked with construction and material. It's why her work often seemed more enticing in previews, experienced up close, than on the runway, where it could look banal. It is worth noting that there was not a single bar jacket in the whole cruise show. Or a high heel. As an alternative, it was strewed with Easter eggs that suggested a finale: references to Chiuri-isms past (to the short film she and Mr. Garrone made during Covid and to the dancers she had included in other shows); to a possible future (her work with the Roman theater); to the last show of her colleague, the former Dior men's wear designer Kim Jones, who resigned in January. (As in that show, some of Ms. Chiuri's models were wearing blindfolds.) Even the inclusion of 31 couture looks among the ready-to-wear seemed a goodbye of sorts. Couture is the next season on the women's wear schedule, and it would have been Ms. Chiuri's next collection, if there actually were one. Instead there was just the cruise show's closing look: an extraordinary gown micro-beaded to resemble a trompe l'oeil heroic torso. Or a relic, perhaps, of what is now officially a time gone by.
Emirates Woman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Emirates Woman
The Dior Cruise 2026 show presents a cinematic ode to Rome's timeless elegance
For Maria Grazia Chiuri, bringing the Dior Cruise 2026 show to Rome was both a homecoming and a challenge. A decade after her last presentation in the Eternal City—the breathtaking Mirabilia Romae haute couture show for Valentino—she returned with a spectacle that melded history, cinema, and fashion in a way only she could envision. Held at the enchanting Villa Albani Torlonia, an 18th-century treasure trove of Greco-Roman antiquities rarely open to the public, the show was a grand production worthy of Rome's legendary Cinecittà studios. As artificial mist swirled across the parterre and raindrops began to fall (only to fade as the models emerged), the setting became a dreamscape—one where Renaissance opulence met modern femininity. Chiuri's collection was a masterclass in storytelling, with diaphanous cream and white gowns floating alongside dramatic crimson and black velvet columns. Androgynous outerwear—think military tailcoats, peaked trench capes, and sleek motorcycle jackets—added a touch of Dietrich-esque power, while intricate lace and gold-fringed capes exuded regal grandeur. In a nod to Italian cinematic history, she collaborated with famed costume house Tirelli to recreate iconic looks from films like *The Leopard* and The Age of Innocence. The result? A wardrobe fit for a modern-day princess—or a silver-screen siren. Though the grandeur of the venue occasionally overshadowed the meticulous craftsmanship, standout pieces like a scalloped, bead-dusted slip dress and a gold-fringed cape ensured Chiuri's vision shone through. If this marks her final bow at Dior after nine transformative years, she leaves with a triumphant ode to Rome—and to the timeless allure of women who wear her designs. A show of marvels, indeed. – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Supplied
NDTV
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Maria Grazia Chiuri Takes Likely Final Bow As Dior Creative Director After Ethereal Rome Show
The standing ovation at the end of Maison Dior's Cruise 2025 presentation in Rome on May 28, 2025 made it clear that Christian Dior's Creative Director since 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri was saying her goodbyes to the luxury fashion house. This comes post Maria's decade-long tenure at the Italian couture label while resurrecting Teatro della Cometa in Rome with her spellbinding showcase. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maria Grazia Chiuri (@mariagraziachiuri) What is expected to be Maria Grazia Chiuri's final Dior showcase was filled with symbolism and theatrics. For this she chose Rome which is a city entrenched in history and mythology. The setting was Villa Albani Torlonia which houses one of Europe's most revered collections Greco-Roman antiquities. It made the messaging pretty clear that it isn't just another runway show, but was meant to be an opera style farewell for Maria. Maria is Dior's first ever female creative director and has been one of the most commercially successful in the brand's modern history. In her time at the Italian luxe brand, she is known to have exercised a peculiar sartorial spell over her audience. For Christian Dior 's Cruise Collection 2025, Maria exercised a peculiar control over her audience who were black and white formals clad guests. This was an intentional move in keeping with Dior's Cruise 2025 collection's theme - cinema, memory and a couture as a form of storytelling. Maria Grazia Chiuri's presumed departure from Dior, though not confirmed officially has been the subject of industry speculations for months now.
