Maria Grazia Chiuri Returns to Fendi as Chief Creative Officer

Maria Grazia Chiuri is the new chief creative officer of Fendi. The brand announced the appointment on Tuesday, six months after she left Dior. She had been the creative director of the house for nine years, and was previously co-creative director of Valentino. Now, she will be returning to the house where she spent a decade at the beginning of her career as an accessories designer.

“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,” said Chairman and CEO of LVMH Group Bernard Arnault in a statement. “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."

Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of founders Adele and Edoardo Fendi, had been overseeing womenswear for a year since Kim Jones stepped down from the job in October 2024. She added the responsibility to her existing ones as the house’s men’s and accessories designer. Last month, it was announced that Silvia was stepping back from creative duties and taking on the title of honorary president of the house, paving the way for Chiuri’s entrance.

“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. “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.”

Fendi’s headquarters are in Rome, meaning Chiuri will return to her hometown. She’s already reaffirmed her commitment ot the city by recently purchasing and restoring Il Teatro della Cometa. It is also a return to Fendi. Chiuri joined the house in 1989 when she was just 25 years old. She worked there as an accessories designer and aided in the development of the exceptionally popular Baguette Bag, which has had a resurgence in recent years. She also hired Pierpaolo Piccioli, and the two worked side by side before heading to Valentino together in 1999 to lead the accessory department. When Valentino Garavani retired in 2008, Chiuri and Piccioli took over as co-creative directors before Chiuri left the job to Piccioli and headed to Dior in 2016.

Chiuri was Dior’s first female creative director and used her collections to highlight feminist messages and collaborations with female artists. The house had been struggling since John Galliano’s firing in 2011, and Chiuri managed to inject some social consciousness into the offerings, while fostering relationships with some of the biggest stars of the day. She was replaced by Jonathan Anderson, who made his womenswear debut for the house earlier this month in Paris.

She will present her first collection for Fendi in Milan next February. With the Fendi spot filled, we may have finally reached the end of the years-long musical chairs that has plagued the fashion industry as of late.