Latest news with #RM33.8bil
The Star
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Dior's first female head of womenswear, Maria Grazia Chiuri, steps down
Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman to lead Dior's women's collections, announced Thursday (May 29) she is stepping down as creative director after nine years at the storied French fashion house – the latest sign of mounting pressure and ongoing creative turnover at the top of the fashion industry. The Italian designer confirmed her long-rumoured departure in an Instagram post, capping a transformative era defined by bold feminist messaging, record sales and industry-defining collections. "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,″ Chiuri wrote. "Together, we have written a remarkable and impactful chapter, of which I am immensely proud.' Chiuri, 60, leaves behind a legacy that reshaped Dior's creative direction and broadened its global appeal. Since her arrival in 2016, she steered Dior through a golden era of commercial and cultural success. Read more: What led to Jonathan Anderson's sudden appointment as head of Dior menswear? Revenue reportedly rose by nearly US$8bil (approximately RM33.8bil) from 2017 to 2023 as Chiuri's vision of empowered femininity resonated with a new generation of clients. The house itself credited Chiuri with nothing less than redefining "the identity and femininity of the Dior woman, celebrated and reimagined the iconic heritage and savoir-faire'. Delphine Arnault, the LVMH executive who oversees Dior, paid tribute to Chiuri's "tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior'. Chiuri, Arnault added, not only designed "highly desirable collections', but "has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior' – a chapter that will forever be marked by the milestone of her being the first woman to lead the women's collections. Chiuri's debut for Spring 2017 made headlines with "We Should All Be Feminists' T-shirts, declaring a new era for Dior. She brought activism to the runway, collaborating with artists like Judy Chicago and Faith Ringgold. She revived icons such as the Saddle Bag and made space for women's voices, drawing on Dior's past while rewriting its aesthetic. Chiuri departs as the first woman to lead Dior since its founding in 1947, having redefined the house's codes and opened the door to a new chapter at one of fashion's most influential brands. Her exit comes amid a broader wave of creative upheaval across the industry. Pierpaolo Piccioli, her former co-creative director at Valentino, was recently named artistic director of Balenciaga – after Alessandro Michele, known for his maximalist, gender-fluid reinvention of Gucci, was appointed to succeed Piccioli at Valentino in 2024. Meanwhile, Matthieu Blazy, who stepped down from Bottega Veneta last year, will debut at Chanel this fall, succeeding Virginie Viard – whose unceremonious departure shocked the industry. The recent round of high-profile exits and appointments has amounted to fashion's most dramatic game of musical chairs in years – and it's giving the industry whiplash. Read more: A look back at Jonathan Anderson's star-studded legacy of dressing celebrities The moves reflect a period of transition for major fashion houses as they adapt to shifting consumer expectations, slower luxury growth, and the demands of a digital-first market. At least half a dozen top houses have changed creative leadership in the past year alone – a sign of the mounting pressure on designers to deliver both artistic vision and commercial results in an increasingly unstable landscape. Chiuri's shows spanned continents, from Mumbai to Kyoto, each celebrating craft and community. But for her final collection, Resort 2026, Chiuri returned home to Rome – staging the show at Villa Torlonia, enveloping her guests in ritual white, and invoking the spirit of Italian cinema with a film by Matteo Garrone. The choice of her native city, paired with the all-white dress code, signalled a deliberate full-circle moment; an intimate farewell and a subtle hint that Chiuri was preparing to close her chapter at Dior. Dior has not yet named a successor, but speculation centers on Jonathan Anderson, who recently took over Dior's men's collections. – AP
The Star
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Macron: Keep order intact
Sensational sights: Macron (centre) with Lam and their respective wives Brigitte Macron and Ngo Phuong Ly visiting the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. — AFP France's Emmanuel Macron called in Vietnam for the preservation of a world order 'based on law', as he started a tour of South-East Asia, a region caught up in the confrontation between the United States and China. During a press statement alongside his Vietnamese counterpart Luong Cuong in Hanoi, Macron said a rules-based order was necessary at 'a time of both great imbalance and a return to power-driven rhetoric and intimidation'. The president presented France as a reliable alternative for Vietnam, caught between Washington, which is threatening to impose enormous levies on its exports to the United States, and Beijing, an important trade partner with which it is also embroiled in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. After his arrival in Hanoi late Sunday, the first stop of a six-day trip that will take in Indonesia and Singapore, Macron emphasised a shared vision with Vietnam, a country of 100 million people experiencing stellar growth. Yesterday, around a dozen agreements were signed between the two countries, including in the field of nuclear power, which Hanoi is keen to develop as it seeks to meet soaring energy demands. Budget airline Vietjet also announced an order for 20 widebody Airbus A330-900 planes, doubling its purchases of the model from the aviation giant in a deal worth an estimated US$8bil (RM33.8bil). 'It is truly a new page being written between our two countries ... a desire to write an even more ambitious page of the relationship between Vietnam and France, between Asean and the European Union,' Macron said. After paying tribute at a Hanoi war memorial to those who fought against French colonial occupation, Macron met his counterpart Cuong. Macron later had lunch with Communist Party general secretary To Lam at the capital's star attraction, the Temple of Literature. Lam is considered the most powerful leader in Vietnam, a one-party state which tolerates no dissent and moves quickly to suppress any criticism. Ahead of Macron's first official visit to the country, Human Rights Watch pressed him to voice concerns about 'the Vietnamese government's worsening rights record'. Vietnam has more than 170 political prisoners who have been charged and convicted under 'draconian laws' that criminalise free expression and peaceful activism for human rights and democracy, HRW said. A public appeal would be out of character for the French president, who regularly says he prefers to raise sensitive issues behind closed doors. Macron hopes to sell Hanoi his offer of a 'third way' between Washington and Beijing. Macron's 'Indo-Pacific strategy' – which proposes a third way to the countries of the region – has gained new relevance due to Trump's trade war, according to the aide. He said the president was 'defending the idea of international trade rules, we don't want a jungle where the law of the strongest prevails'. — AFP
