Our newsmaker this week is Maria Grazia Chiuri.
The design maven was appointed Christian Dior's first female Creative Director in it's 69-year history, a post which was left vacant following Raf Simons's October 2015 exit.
A graduate from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, Chiuri was discovered in 1999 by Valentino Garavani. She was trained under the master couturier himself and worked for the house for 10 years. In 2008, following Valentino's departure she became director of the accessories line (along with Pierpaolo Piccioli).
Together with Piccioli, Chiuri transformed Valentino into a modern couture house by reinventing the label's flamboyant design codes. Their designs for Valentino have been met with much critical acclaim with celebrities from Cate Blanchett to Emma Stone turning to Valentino for gowns.
In June 2015 Chiuri was bestowed with the prestigious CFDA International Award. Her first collection for Christian Dior will be shown in Paris on September 30 during Paris Fashion Week.
For more on Maria Grazia Chiuri be sure to check out her profile on FMD and check back next week to find out who our next Newsmaker is.
Follow Fashion Model Directory on Pinterest, Facebook, Linked In and Twitter!