Maria Grazia Chiuri Steps Down as Dior Women’s Artistic Director

Summary

Maria Grazia Chiuri has announced her exit as creative director for Dior’s womenswear and couture after nine years
The Cruise 2026 show in Rome was her last at Dior
As Dior’s first female creative director, she championed a distinctly feminist approach and oversaw significant commercial success, including quadrupling couture sales

In a significant shift within the luxury fashion world, Maria Grazia Chiuri has announced her departure as the creative director of Dior‘s womenswear and couture lines after a nine-year tenure. The news broke just days after her Cruise 2026 show in Rome, which is now understood to be her final collection for the esteemed French house.

Chiuri made history in 2016 as the first woman to lead Dior since its founding in 1947. Her time at the helm was largely defined by a distinctly feminist perspective, often incorporating empowering slogans and collaborating extensively with female artists for her runway show scenography. She also focused on bringing a mood of romance and ease to the collections, frequently drawing inspiration from less-explored elements of the Dior archive. Under her creative direction, Dior saw significant commercial growth, with couture sales notably quadrupling. The French fashion house said in a statement, “The house of Dior wishes to express today its deepest gratitude to Maria Grazia Chiuri after a wonderful collaboration as creative director of women’s collections since 2016.” Delphine Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture shared, “I extend 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, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior, which allowed her to design highly desirable collections. She has written a key chapter in the history of Christian Dior, greatly contributing to its remarkable growth and being the first woman to lead the creation of women’s collections.”

While her successor has yet to be officially named by Dior, there is widespread speculation that Jonathan Anderson, who was recently confirmed as the creative director for Dior Men (replacing Kim Jones), will also take over the womenswear line. Chiuri, expressing immense pride in her work, thanked Monsieur Arnault and Delphine Arnault for their trust and acknowledged the talent of her teams and the ateliers in helping her realize her vision of “committed women’s fashion.” Chiuri’s final statement at Dior hears her share, “I would like to thank Monsieur Arnault for placing his trust in me and Delphine for her support. 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. Together, we have written an impactful chapter of which I am immensely proud.”