October 14, 2025 |
It’s all change at Fendi, where Maria Grazia Chiuri has been named chief creative officer of the house. Her debut show will take place at Milan Fashion Week in February next year.
Exiting Dior in May after nine years helming the Parisian house’s womenswear and couture collections, her appointment follows Kim Jones‘ departure from Fendi last October. Since, the house has been led by Silvia Venturini Fendi, who creatively led Fendi’s collections during its centenary year, In September it was announced Venturini Fendi would move into a new role as Honorary President of Fendi.
“Maria Grazia Chiuri is one of the greatest creative talents in fashion today, and I am delighted that she has chosen to return to Fendi to continue expressing her creativity within the LVMH group, after sharing her bold vision of fashion,” Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH, told WWD. “Surrounded by the Fendi teams and in a city that is dear to her, I am convinced that Maria Grazia will contribute to the artistic renewal and future success of the maison, while perpetuating its unique heritage.”
All of Fendi’s collections, including womenswear, menswear and couture, will be overseen by Chiuri, where before the house typically had separate men’s and women’s designers. In a statement, the Chiuri said: “Fendi has always been a forge of talents and a starting point for many creatives in the industry, thanks to the extraordinary ability of these five women to foster and nurture generations of vision and skill. I am grateful to Mr. Arnault for entrusting me with the task of helping to write a new chapter in the history of this extraordinary women-founded company.”
Her new role will see Chiuri back in Rome, where she was raised – earlier this year it was revealed the designer had restored the city’s Teatro della Cometa. It also marks Chiuri’s triumphant return to Fendi, too. Before she joined Valentino (she first entered the house in 1999, before becoming co-creative director alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli in 2008), she had spent a decade working with Piccioli at Fendi. Chiuri worked in the accessories division of the house, famously designing the Baguette bag alongside Venturini Fendi.
Joining Dior in July 2016 as the very first woman to be named creative director, Chiuri’s vision for the storied French house was deeply rooted in uplifting and celebrating women. “My idea was that, step by step, I can do this to create a community,” she told 10. “I think the representation of women has to be done and voiced by women, to promote the female gaze, because it is a different point of view. Together we can show different women artists, photographers, singers, because I think it is beautiful to work together but also [I want] to give another voice an opportunity to talk about femininity.” One of her most memorable female-focussed moments was her Dior debut, wherein a series of T-shirts blared “We Should All Be Feminists” in reference to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay of the same name. “My first collection surprised people,” she said. “They thought Maria Grazia comes from Valentino. She is very romantic. There will be a collection with flowers. But honestly, I think we can do flowers, that’s not a problem, but to speak about femininity is another story today, with or without flowers.”
In 2017, Chiuri was honoured at the British Fashion Awards with the Swarovski Award for Positive Change, which acknowledged her commitment to gender equality, female empowerment, and social activism within the fashion industry.
Beyond that, Chiuri catalysed a succession of collaborations with female artists during her tenure. This included Faith Ringgold, who created a large-scale textile installation for the SS24 ready-to-wear show, and Mickalene Thomas, who reimagined Dior’s haute couture through a Black feminist lens for the AW23 couture collection, amongst many others. “In the past there was an idea of fashion that wanted to impose rules on women but all through my career, I have given [women] options. There is a story [I am] telling about femininity, but there are many ways to be feminine,” she said. “My work is dedicated to women in a way that has to be wearable and has to be light, to help them to enjoy [life].”
Chiuri also brought a sports sensibility to Dior, imbuing its elegant couture legacy with an unexpected athleisure influence. “It was important to me to introduce this idea of ‘sport couture’ and mix street style with couture pieces,” she said, referencing the evolution of modern femininity in fashion. In the AW22 collection, for example, this manifested as bodysuits layered under bar jackets, futuristic corsetry inspired by fencing gear and functional-yet-decorative harnesses that redefined Dior’s classic silhouettes..
Her arrival at Fendi signals a bold new era for the house, one that will balance the legacy of its craftsmanship with Chiuri’s own penchant for modern femininity.
Photography by Paola Mattioli.
