Lovers of Dior rejoice! Finally, after many many months of waiting, Christian Dior have announced a new creative director following the shock exit of Raf Simons last year. This has been a post that’s had the rumour mill in overdrive for one and almost everyone currently in a creative director position in one of the top luxury houses has been linked with the role. However, the rumour mill can grind to a halt as the storied brand has announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri will be taking the creative reins at the brand, leaving behind her current post at Valentino.
“She’s very straightforward and a direct person and so, frankly, the first time I met her, I knew that she was the one,” said Sidney Toledano, noting Chiuri’s previous experience at Valentino and Fendi, as well as her clear vision of who the Dior woman was.
“We were talking about the vision of the woman of today, of tomorrow, of the young generation. The woman in different occasions — when she works, when she is shopping, when she is going for a cocktail or dinner. She has a global experience and big intuition, at the same time she is really pragmatic and the way she talks about it, it is very clear,” Toledano said.
It’s definitely an exciting time for the brand, marking the first time in Dior’s history that a female creative director will take the helm. Along with her former design partner Pierpaolo Picciolo at Valentino, Chiuri has shown exemplary talent for both pret-a-porter lines and haute couture. The duo are renown for a hyper feminine, romantic and intricately detailed look so it will be really exciting to see what feel Chiuri will bring to Dior. We could certainly be headed for the extravagant designs of the Galliano era but no doubt Chiuri will bring her own modernity and italian sensibility to her lines.
Valentino officially confirmed the departure of Chiuri on last week, appointing Pierpaolo Piccioli the brand’s sole creative director. It’s definitely an era of change for both brands. Together Chiuri and Piccioli were one of fashions strongest and most successful partnerships and I’m super excited to see how the duo fare as sole creative directors.