Luxury fashion has a women designer problem: As Marie Claire has reported, it's still rare to see female talent appointed to lead the world's biggest, most influential legacy houses. Today, another one joins—or, more accurately, rejoins—the ranks.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, coming off nearly a decade at the helm of Dior, is taking over Fendi, the brand announced on Oct. 14. Her appointment follows Silvia Venturini Fendi's departure as Chief Creative Officer earlier this month. Chiuri's first collection will walk the Milan Fashion Week runway in February 2026.
It's a homecoming for the Italian designer—and not only because she, like the brand, is a native of Rome: She began her career at Fendi, working on the team (overseen by Venturini Fendi herself) that designed the iconic Baguette bag. She's also responsible for bringing on Pierpaolo Piccioli, who would move with her and become her creative partner at Valentino. (He just made his debut at Balenciaga this past Paris Fashion Week for Spring 2026.)
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccoli attend Fendi's 90th anniversary runway show.
Chiuri left Valentino, where she was co-creative director alongside Piccioli, to become the top designer at Dior in 2016. She's the first (and only) woman to be the French brand's creative director, and nearly quadrupled its revenue, from €2.2 billion in 2017 to €9 billion in 2023, according to an HSBC report. She exited earlier this year, and was replaced by Jonathan Anderson.
“I return to Fendi with honor and joy, having had the privilege of beginning my career under the guidance of the House’s founders, the five sisters," Chiuri said, in a statement. "Fendi has always been a forge of talents and a starting point for many creatives in the industry, thanks to the extraordinary ability of these five women to foster and nurture generations of vision and skill."
Dior and Fendi share a parent company, LVMH. Considering these numbers, you can see why they wanted to keep her in the family.
In a press releasing announcing Chiuri's appointment, Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH Group, said: "Maria Grazia Chiuri is one of the greatest creative talents in fashion today, and I am delighted that she has chosen to return to Fendi to continue expressing her creativity within the LVMH Group, after sharing her bold vision of fashion. Surrounded by the Fendi teams and in a city that is dear to her, I am convinced that Maria Grazia will contribute to the artistic renewal and future success of the Maison, while perpetuating its unique heritage."
Ramon Ros, Chairman and CEO of Fendi, added: "The role of a creative director is no longer to simply design beautiful clothes but to curate a culture and hold a mirror to the world we live in. Her talent and vision will be instrumental in fortifying FENDI’s heritage, shaping the future talent in the house and deepening our commitment to Italian craftsmanship."