Dive Brief:
- Maria Grazia Chiuri is stepping down from the creative director position at Dior Women, the designer announced on Instagram Thursday.
- Chiuri held the position for nine years and was the first woman to helm women’s design for the label since it was founded by Christian Dior in 1946. Chiuri’s last show for Dior was held in Rome on Tuesday.
- The LVMH-owned fashion house hasn’t named Chiuri’s successor. The news comes after Jonathan Anderson became artistic director for Dior Men last month, succeeding Kim Jones. Anderson's first collection for the house will be shown in June.
Dive Insight:
Chiuri didn’t share her next move. Her career has included stints at Fendi and Valentino.
“I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers,” Chiuri wrote in the post announcing her departure. “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 a remarkable and impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud.”
In a separate Instagram post, Delphine Arnault, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, said Chiuri had written a key chapter in the history of the label.
“I extended 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,” Arnault said.
The change comes as LVMH faces declining revenue. Though the luxury conglomerate doesn’t report revenue by specific brands, the company’s CFO Cécile Cabanis said on a recent earnings call that Dior tends to perform slightly below average.
Chiuri’s successor will join a growing cohort of new designers at LVMH-owned brands. Loewe named Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez creative directors after Anderson’s made the jump to Dior, and Givenchy and Celine have named new creative directors in the past year.
But the recent shuffling of creative direction isn’t unique to LVMH. In the first quarter of the year, a dozen changes were made at several fashion houses, including those owned by OTB and Kering. The changes have continued into Q2. Last week, Pierpaolo Piccioli was named the next creative director of Balenciaga.
