Maria Grazia Chiuri - Designer

[yslforever]

let me get this straight: you have that horrible little man harris reed running around, turning fashion into one big woke gender-fluid circus and none of the hive minded fashion gays™ bat an eyelid. some of them even lap it up. but maria grazia chiuri reliably produces competently designed (if incredibly boring) clothes every season and for some reason its knives out?

i'm not here to defend her blandness but there are absolutely double standards that exist and i wouldn't be surprised if they are rooted in misogyny.

I think everyone equally hates Harris Reed too, he is just not leading one of the most important and revered house and legacy in fashion history.
He is irrelevant in the fashion conversation.

 

[ah ah]

Ok, it seems we're losing the point here. As much as I was relieved yesterday when it was announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri is stepping down at Dior - and as much as I’ve never liked her work at the brand - I believe we should agree that she’s a designer who understands the market well. Therefore, like it or not, she has been a real player. She cannot be compared to the likes of Harris Reed or Ludovic de Saint Sernin, who, unfortunately, have yet to contribute anything truly relevant to fashion.

 

[j02215]

For better or worse, she had brought consistency and stability to Dior at a time when it was much needed, and her vision really resonated with a segment of both aspirational shoppers and the truly wealthy/conservative clients - which is not an easy feat by any means.

For me, she was at her best when the products were unabashedly commercial, and at her worst when she tried to package the designs in cheap/insincere intellectualism.

Ultimately, I think she is, in part, a victim of the current fashion cycle speed and the number of shows required at a mega house like Dior. If she still wants to work and if it won’t hurt her pride, she would thrive at a smaller, but highly skilled house, and hopefully churning out only 2 shows a year.

 

[Nimsay]

how is she a victim. Shes a millionaire who got to share her elite skill with the world. The dior archive now has 5,000 flawless dresses by her.

 

[j02215]

^ lmao, of course not a real life victim. Target might’ve been a better word - as in, TFS target

 

[Ninocka98]

Finally she steps out

 

[tricotineacetat]

If she still wants to work and if it won’t hurt her pride, she would thrive at a smaller, but highly skilled house, and hopefully churning out only 2 shows a year.

I doubt there are any such houses left in today‘s fashion environment - Olivier Theyskens' Rochas would have been that but the time of storied couture names brought back to serve a niche taste for those-in-the-know is all but gone.

And quite frankly speaking - The very last person I would want to see making a comeback in such a frame work would be Maria Grazia Chiuri…

 

[FelipeV]

After all I think we're being so harsh with her,
she was the first one in
also she created the
and don't forget when she

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

You are right. She would be actually perfect for
or for
or even for

 

[tricotineacetat]

I wouldn‘t mind her added to the roster of Uniqlo‘s designers - Funny cause she would in turn then likely replace J.W. Anderson, as I doubt he will want to continue his collab with such a large amount of work on Dior.

 

[youthinasia]

I wouldn‘t mind her added to the roster of Uniqlo‘s designers - Funny cause she would in turn then likely replace J.W. Anderson, as I doubt he will want to continue his collab with such a large amount of work on Dior.

You really think he actually works on Uniqlo x JW Anderson? Surely, he would just sign off on the designs and collect the paycheque.

 

[BalkaniStaCouture]

I am 100% sure JW Anderson will go faster then Sabato. Really eager to see will frogs appear on Lady Dior. 🤭

I am still shocked that Sean is still at McQueen
And Lee is still at Burberry.

I guess miracles are happening.

Sad that Maria left. End of an era.

 

[tourbillions]

I am still shocked that Sean is still at McQueen

i dont know how the sales are but he is doing mid collections. nothing to be excited about and also nothing to hate. Somehow respects mcqueen but maybe too much

 

[chalayan]

i dont know how the sales are but he is doing mid collections. nothing to be excited about and also nothing to hate. Somehow respects mcqueen but maybe too much

as noted in the kering annual financial report (february 2025)

 

[Lola701]

The only designer they could have appointed at McQueen for me was Giles Deacon.
He could have helped them make a smooth transition because unfortunately, the change is so drastic that even old clients might have moved on from McQueen and will probably go to Givenchy.

Because the foundation of Alexander McQueen’s commercial success is Sarah Burton. Lee build a legacy but it was her fashion and her products that made the brand successful commercially. Now that everything is gone, the logo is changed and clearly, there’s a confusion, how could a client react?

The poor guy will probably be fired at the end of his tenure. Kering has more issues now with Gucci, Balenciaga and Valentino! So nobody is checking for him…

 

[chalayan]

The only designer they could have appointed at McQueen for me was Giles Deacon.
He could have helped them make a smooth transition because unfortunately, the change is so drastic that even old clients might have moved on from McQueen and will probably go to Givenchy.

of all the names you could've gone for, giles deacon was the one you settled on?

 

[Lola701]

of all the names you could've gone for, giles deacon was the one you settled on?

Yes. It’s more of a generation thing than a question of fashion relevancy per say. They are from the same generation, they have had some common collaborators.
I’m always afraid when the approach with McQueen is « edgy ». It can quickly look like Gareth Pugh circa 2008.

For me, personally, the house should be closed. But if they wanted to make it proper brand, some sort of continuation would have been appreciated. And I only see Giles Deacon in terms of designer who could have been a bridge between the work of Lee and Sarah.

He is very inconsistent but when there’s budget and he is focused, I think he can do wonderful things.

He did a Couture collection some years ago. I think it was his last collection, that was very McQueen-esque with the tailcoats, Edwardian details, digital and animal prints.

His work is not necessarily fierce but with the right stylist and Casting Director, those things can be fixed.

 

[brandon J pierre]

Dior has always sold because it is Dior, starting with Marc Bohan. Gianfranco Ferré, in many ways, was the spiritual predecessor to Maria Grazia Chiuri. I actually preferred Ferré. He stayed true to Dior’s codes, making only subtle variations.

That said, I think we’re a bit spoiled. These clothes are stunning, among the finest ever made. They are a testament to the craft of dressmaking. Maria achieved the extraordinary by making intricate construction look light as air.

She was a fantastic designer but with this new announcement we're going to really see design change. And we might actually see how good she was

 

[Lola701]

She was a fantastic designer but with this new announcement we're going to really see design change. And we might actually see how good she was

I don’t think the discourse around her was about her capacities as a designer but the impact of her work within the Dior universe.

It’s totally possible to be a great designer and to not be right for a house.

I don’t know if MGC could have been successful at Rochas but she would have still been a good designer who can design beautiful dresses.

But I think her fans are going to miss her anyway. People in general, probably not. And Dior clients probably not either as their loyalty is with the house.