Chiuri's father was in the military and her mother, a dressmaker, joined a sewing workshop at a young age before opening her own boutique in Rome, but pushed her daughter to study. She had five sisters.[2][3] She has cited her grandmother, mother and sisters as an inspiration.[3] Chiuri studied at Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, then started at Fendi where she designed handbag lines.
In 1999, Chiuri joined Italian fashion house Valentino, where she was responsible for the accessories lines. In 2008, when Valentino Garavani retired, Chiuri was promoted within the Italian company to become artistic co-director of the brand, alongside Pier Paolo Piccioli, whom she had known since her studies at the Istituto Europeo di Design. In 2003, the pair also began to manage creative direction for the Red Valentino diffusion collection. Chiuri and Piccioli were named co-creative directors of Valentino in 2008, overseeing full artistic direction for the brand, including Womenswear, Menswear & Haute Couture. Both designers were awarded the CFDA International Award for their work in 2015.[citation needed]
In 2016, Sidney Toledano appointed Chiuri as artistic director of the women's collections of Christian Dior (haute couture and ready-to-wear, six collections per year). Succeeding Raf Simons, she became the first woman to hold this position since the inception of the brand in 1946. Her first shows for the French house were characterized by minimalism and feminist themes.[citation needed]
In July 2020, Chiuri presented the haute couture autumn-winter 2020–2021 collection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was presented for the first time in the form of a film, in collaboration with Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone.[citation needed]
Chiuri's work is often described as youthful, and she cites her daughter Rachele Regini as a muse.[6][3]
Beginnings at Dior
In July 2016 Chiuri was appointed the creative director of Dior.[7][8][9] Vanessa Freidman of The New York Times reported: "She will be the first woman to lead the creative side in the label’s 69-year history,[10] and the role will be her first solo appointment after more than two decades of working with Pierpaolo Piccioli,[11] who has been named creative director at Valentino."[7] The Irish Times remarked: "As artistic director of the storied Paris fashion house, Ms Chiuri will follow in the footsteps of designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré and John Galliano."[12]
According to Chiuri, "the new generation has raised big questions about gender, race, environment and cultures that we have to reflect in fashion".[6] Chiuri has often been inspired by feminism for the clothes she has created for Dior. In addition, she regularly invites committed artists to present her collections.[17]
In September 2016, the slogan "We should all be feminist",[18] a phrase by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, was printed on white t-shirts of two models at the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week for the Spring 2017 collection.[19] In January 2020, during a Dior fashion show, staged in the garden of the Rodin Museum, the catwalk was lined with 21 banners, on which were embroidered feminist phrases, such as "Could men and women be equal?".[20] In March, quotes such as "The patriarchy kills love" or "We are all clitoridian women" from Carla Lonzi's manifesto were displayed during the presentation of the 1970s-inspired collection.[21]
Publications
In 2021, Chiuri published the book Her Dior: Maria Grazia Chiuri's New Voice.[22] It includes the work of 33 photographers who have worked with Chiuri and Dior.
Chiuri is, along with Pierpaolo Piccioli, author of the book Valentino: Objects of Couture, published in November 2013, about the Valentino fashion house.[23]
Awards and distinctions
2024: Chiuri receives the Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion.[24][25]
2017: Chiuri receives the Swarovski Award for Positive Change at the Fashion Awards.[27][28]
2017: Chiuri receives the "Glamour Award for Designer of the Year", as well as the "Glamour Award for The Fashion Force", presented by Glamour magazine.[29]
2015: Chiuri receives the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) award for her creations at Valentino.[30]
Personal life
Chiuri married Paolo Regini, a shirtmaker, and has a son, Niccolò, and a daughter, Rachele.[2]
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