Maria Grazia Chiuri
A female pioneer in the male-dominated world of fashion, Dior’s creative director has remained true to her vision of a vibrant, ever-evolving brand that meets the needs of the modern woman
MOTHER. WIFE. ARTIST. TRAILBLAZER. PROVOCATEUR. With style and strength of purpose, Maria Grazia Chiuri – the first female creative director at Dior, and Harper’s Bazaar’s Designer of the Year for the second time – has brought a sly subversion to this most storied of Parisian houses. Christian Dior saw women as delicate, precious flowers, and a series of six male designers interpreted his view of femininity for almost six decades. Chiuri, who came to the brand in 2016 after success at Valentino and Fendi, turned things around from her first show, transforming the feminine into the feminist. Sometimes it has been a catwalk T-shirt slogan, as with her S/S 17 debut; sometimes it has been a commission with female writers, dancers, photographers or artists; sometimes it has been a collaboration with skilled craftswomen from around the world – but it has always been about shining a light on other women, a persistent and personal mission. In an industry that is still largely run by men, at a time when we’ve just seen a season of shows featuring upsettingly skinny models staggering down rain-soaked catwalks in unwalkable heels, this feels more vital to celebrate than ever before.
‘Receiving such an important award again fills me with pride and is a true honour,’ Chiuri says. ‘It means that my work, the project that I am pursuing, has a value that is confirmed and consolidated over time; it is not tied to the moment. I am committed to helping women understand how the idea of femininity can be integrated into feminism, and how clothes can be great allies to define and affirm themselves.’
It almost goes without saying that Chiuri’s revolutionary vision is imbued in her work, which has seen her loosen corsets and pair couture gowns with flat sandals, as well as designing dresses with pockets and bags that can carry laptops. She has also launched trainers and sportswear, explored protective-garment technology, such as corsets with in-built airbags, and given a sense of ease to even the most elaborate of outfits. Where Christian Dior’s silhouette was cinched and confined, Chiuri’s is empowered and unfettered. Dior today could only be designed by a woman. And women respond to it: while LVMH doesn’t share financial results for individual brands, revenues have more than tripled during Chiuri’s tenure, and growth at Dior has accelerated sharply, from €2.2 billion in 2017 to €6.6 billion in 2021. This softly spoken radical has become one of the industry’s biggest successes. ‘In these six years, I have worked a lot on trying to define the contemporary relevance of a charismatic brand like Dior,’ Chiuri says, ‘and on how to make it feel like an ally of women.’
‘I am committed to helping women understand how femininity can be integrated into feminism, and how clothes can be allies to define and affirm themselves’