After several weeks of rumors, Christian Dior officially announced Maria Grazia Chiuri as its new design head.
Chiuri is the first female Creative Director of the fashion house in it's 69-year history and joins the ranks of Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Gianfranco Ferre. 'It is a great honour to be joining the house of Dior,' said Chiuri in a statement. 'I measure the tremendous responsibility of being the first woman in charge of the creation in a house so deeply rooted in the pure expression of femininity. The endless wealth of its heritage continues to be a constant source of inspiration for fashion, and I cannot wait to express my own vision.'
Sidney Toledano, Dior's chief executive told The Wall Street Journal that he knew that Chiuri was the one for the position, 'The role of women has changed since the time of Mr. Dior and it's very important to have the eyes of a woman designing for women,' he said.
Chiuri has worked alongside fellow Italian designer Pierpaolo Piccioli for almost 20 years, and the duo's designs for Valentino have been met with much critical acclaim. Together they have been credited with transforming Valentino into a modern couture house. Piccioli will remain at Valentino, and will take the sole reins as creative director.
Chiuri's first collection for Christian Dior will be shown in Paris on September 30 during Paris Fashion Week.
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