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Maria Grazia Chiuri leaves Dior: Throwback to 7 memorable shows blending art and fashion
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s insight has been key in the revival of Dior since her appointment as creative director of the house in 2017. The designer has also made a lasting impression with her runway shows, where art serves both her convictions and those of the fashion world. As the news of her departure has come out, Numéro is revisiting seven of her memorable collections.
Maria Grazia Chiuri steps down from creative direction at Dior
It’s official, Maria Grazia Chiuri is leaving the house of Dior. Appointed in 2016, the Italian designer, who previously worked at Fendi and Valentino, has shown remarkable longevity in an industry constantly shaken by turnovers.
As the first woman to hold the position as creative director at the iconic French fashion house, she leaves a rich legacy behind her, inspired by the brand’s history, her own passions – art especially – as well as the feminist causes that have driven her.
Her first Dior show and its memorable slogan
In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri took over the Dior ateliers. In September that same year, she presented her highly-anticipated first collection for the house. This Spring/Summer 2017 show left a lasting impression because of the Italian designer’s committed message. It redefined the brand’s identity while establishing the foundations of her new aesthetic.
This was showcased notably through corsets and voluminous tulle skirts, but above all through simple white t-shirts printed with a quote that has since become iconic: “We should all be feminist.” This political slogan, taken from the eponymous 2014 essay by writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, highlights Chiuri’s historic role as the first woman to take Dior’s artistic reins. It marked a major turning point, underscored by this powerful runway show.
The artists behind Maria Grazia Chiuri’s 2020 Cruise show
Deeply rooted in the history of the house, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collections often reference pivotal periods. Take, for example, the Cruise 2020 show held in Marrakech, which evoked Yves Saint Laurent’s brief, yet revolutionary era at Christian Dior in 1960. Demonstrating both her mastery of the subject and her openness, the Italian designer invited numerous local couturiers and creators to reinterpret some of the house’s most iconic pieces.
Thus, the women of the Moroccan association Sumano, specializing in textiles and ceramics, created a fringed wool coat. Meanwhile, African American artist Mickalene Thomas reimagined the Bar suit with beaded embroidery and prints inspired by her own works on the back. British-Jamaican designer Grace Wales Bonner also offered her interpretation of the New Look, incorporating raffia embroideries. Designer Pathé’O, known as Nelson Mandela’s tailor, created a top printed with the portrait of the late politician. One can also note the collaboration between British-Guinean Martine Henry and Stephen Jones on a series of turbans.
When Judy Chicago created the set for a haute couture show
Driven by her feminist message and passion for art history, Maria Grazia Chiuri has invited many female artists to her shows in order to explore the connections between the female body, fashion, culture, and art. For the Spring/Summer 2020 haute couture collection, she chose one of the pioneers of American feminist art: Judy Chicago.
In the gardens of the Rodin Museum, the latter envisioned a monumental installation entitled The Female Divine. As a tribute to female power, far beyond its reproductive ability, this set questioned the empowerment and influence of women. “What if women ruled the world?”, Judy Chicago wrote on the walls and banners…
The open-air Dior show in Lecce
This was probably one of the greatest shows of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s era at Dior. Held after the Covid pandemic, the event took place in the Italian designer’s native region of Apulia, more specifically in the small town of Lecce, in the heart of the Piazza del Duomo. For that occasion, the cathedral was towered above with a light installation created by artist Marinella Senatore.
On the paved square, Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal unveiled a performance inspired by the Pizzica, an ancient, liberating dance from the region. In short, a fantastic Dior Cruise 2021 show at the crossroads between arts and fields, celebrating both the Italian craftsmanship dear to the designer and the expertise of the French house’s ateliers.
Eva Jospin’s installations inspired Maria Grazia Chiuri
From scenography to silhouettes, everything reflects the meticulous work of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri in this Spring/Summer 2023 show. The designer drew her inspiration from the city of Paris, but also from one woman who left a permanent mark on the capital: Queen Catherine de Medicis (1519–1589). A key figure in Franco-Italian history, she was also responsible for the creation of the Tuileries Garden.
In fact, it was within this garden that she had a grotto constructed, which was later destroyed in the 17th century. Invited by Maria Grazia Chiuri, artist Eva Jospin specifically reproduced it for the show. Emerging from this installation, the models seemed to step straight out of the 16th century. Indeed, all the hallmarks of the French court of that era were there, from Burano lace to crinoline dresses and skirts, as well as corsets, which were introduced into the royal workshops by Catherine de Medicis.
Joana Vasconcelos’ Valkyries at Dior
A leading figure on the contemporary Portuguese art scene, Joana Vasconcelos has been invited to take on numerous prestigious projects, from the Château de Versailles and the Venice Biennale to Le Bon Marché and, more recently, the set design for Dior’s Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show.
Drawing on her gigantic and infamous Valkyries – installations made of fabric, earthenware, and pottery – the artist created a grandiose and colorful setting. Surrounded by these organic, multicolored forms, guests were immersed in a feminist universe where the artist’s inspirations were fully expressed. As a reminder, the Valkyries are virgin, fierce goddesses, daughters and messengers of the god Odin in Norse mythology.
Maria Grazia Chiuri pays tribute to Faith Ringgold
For her Spring/Summer 2024 haute couture show, Maria Grazia Chiuri paid tribute to American artist and activist Faith Ringgold (1930–2024), who had passed away just a few months earlier. In the Rodin Museum’s gardens, the walls and ceiling were adorned with works inspired by the artist’s works. Her pioneering feminist and anti-racist activism dating back to the 1960s, which made a lasting impact on the history of Western art, was highlighted. Her work opened the door for many artists of color and activists to have greater space for expression.
This cause deeply resonated with the Italian designer’s values. For the occasion, she revamped Faith Ringgold’s artworks and incorporated them into dozens of banners and around thirty life-size, embroidered mosaics.
