At long last, someone has stepped up to fill Raf Simons’ sizeable shoes (which we imagine have a lingering floral scent). Nine months after the erstwhile Dior creative director made his exit, Sidney Toledano, Dior’s president and chief executive, has confirmed that Maria Grazia Chiuri is the French fashion house’s seventh couturier.
While we were devastated to see Raf go, we’re elated to finally have a woman at the helm of the storied brand. “The idea of hiring a woman is something I had in mind, and this woman was the right one,” Toledano said of the highly anticipated appointment.
Chiuri comes to Paris by way of Rome, where she served as co-creative director of Valentino, alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli. Piccioli and Chiuri have worked side by side for over 25 years — in their previous posts at Fendi, the two helped conceptualize the legendary Baguette bag.
“It is a great honor to be joining the house of Dior; I measure the tremendous responsibility of being the first woman in charge of the creation in a house so deeply rooted in the pure expression of femininity,” Chiuri said in a statement. “The endless wealth of its heritage continues to be a constant source of inspiration for fashion, and I cannot wait to express my own vision.”
Chiuri’s first collection as artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories will debut on September 30 for the Spring 2017 season. Expect a line infused with her “sensual and poetic” vision of modern ladies.
Now, if only Calvin Klein would confirm Raf Simons’ appointment, the fashion world could finally have some closure.
[ via WWD ]
