Maria Grazia Chiuri exits Dior, capping transformative era for the Paris fashion behemoth

PARIS (AP) - Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman ever to lead Dior's women's collections, announced Thursday she is stepping down as creative director after nine years at the storied French fashion house.

The Italian designer confirmed her departure in an Instagram post, capping a transformative era defined by bold feminist messaging, record sales and industry-defining collections.

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. Revenues reportedly rose by nearly $8 billion from 2017 to 2023 as Chiuri's vision of empowered femininity resonated with a new generation of clients.

"I am particularly grateful for the work accomplished by my teams and the ateliers. Their talent and expertise allowed me to realize my vision of committed women's fashion, in close dialogue with several generations of female artists,″ she said in the post. "Together, we have written a remarkable and impactful chapter, of which I am immensely proud."

The fashion house said Chiuri ″redefined the identity and femininity of the Dior woman, celebrated and reimagined the iconic heritage and savoir-faire."

LVMH executive Delphine Arnault thanked Chiuri for her "tremendous work," saying she had "an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior.”

Chiuri designed "highly desirable collections (and) has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior,″ Arnault added, noting she was the first woman to design 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.

Her shows spanned continents, from Mumbai to Kyoto, each celebrating craft and community. Chiuri's last collection, Resort 2026, was staged in her native Rome at Villa Torlonia, evoking the spirit of Italian cinema, and accompanied by a film from director Matteo Garrone.

Dior has not yet named a successor, but speculation centers on Jonathan Anderson, who recently took over Dior's men's collections.

Chiuri departs as the first woman to helm Dior since its founding in 1947, having rewritten the rules and opened the door for a new chapter at one of fashion's most influential maisons.

Her departure is part of a long string of creative shakeups at major fashion houses, that includes Pierpaolo Piccioli's recent appointment as creative director at Balenciaga. Chiuri and Piccioli were for a time co-creative directors at Valentino.