As the Italian designer steps down after nine years, will Northern Irish designer JW Anderson take over Dior’s womenswear?
Maria Grazia Chiuri bowed out gracefully as Dior’s womenswear artistic director after a fitting standing ovation in her hometown of Rome to unveil the 2026 Cruise collection.
Former Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, whose debut as artistic director of Dior’s menswear line is due during Paris Fashion Week in June, is widely expected to succeed Chiuri – which we called at the start of the year.
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Chiuri joined Dior in 2016 from Valentino as their first female creative director, whom THE GLOSS editor Sarah McDonnell interviewed in 2021.
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One of six girls, Chiuri cites her mother, sisters, and daughter and muse Rachele Reginias (pictured), as inspiration. It’s no surprise, then, that her very first collection for Dior debuted many feminist references, for which she became famous. She’s quoted as saying; “The new generation has raised big questions about gender, race, environment and cultures that we have to reflect in fashion”.
Former Northern Ireland native Jonathan Anderson has also been hailed in fashion circles as something of a wunderkind – “a unicorn in the industry” – according to The Guardian. Vogue Business reported that sales grew from €230m in 2014 to €1.1bn in 2024 during his eleven year tenure at Loewe.
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Given his unique vision and ground-breaking approach to fashion, the question remains as to how he will tackle the feminine designs and attention to detail that Chiuri inspired. What’s next for both visionaries? Watch this space …
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