Maria Grazia Chiuri was the first woman to lead Dior’s haute couture and ready-to-wear collections as artistic director.
Dior appointed Chiuri in 2016, and she presented her first collection for the house in 2017. Before joining Dior, she had worked at Valentino, where she shared the creative direction with Pierpaolo Piccioli. Her appointment was historically significant because Dior had previously been led by male artistic directors in its principal women’s design role.
Chiuri’s Dior work has combined couture references with practical clothing, feminist themes and collaborations with artists. Her collections have often revisited the house’s archives while addressing contemporary ideas about women and identity.
She should not be confused with other women who have designed for Dior in specific roles or with later leaders of Dior’s menswear division. The distinction here is the top creative position covering the house’s principal women’s couture and ready-to-wear collections.