MILAN (AP) — Fendi on Tuesday by name Maria Grazia Chiuri as the new creative director, replacing Silvia Venturini Fendiwho stepped down last month to become honorary president of the fashion house founded by her grandparents and now owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH.
Chiuri's first collection for the Roman fashion house will be presented next February during Milan Fashion Week.
Chiuri, 61, most recently served as creative director of Dior LVMH and was formerly co-creative director of Valentino with Pierpaolo Piccioli. She began her career at Fendi designing handbags.
“Maria Grazia Chiuri is one of the greatest creative talents in modern fashion, and I am delighted that she has decided to return to Fendi to continue expressing her creativity,” Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, said in a statement.
Venturini Fendi took over womenswear in addition to menswear after leaving last year Kim Jones who became artistic director of womenswear and haute couture in 2020 following the death of the fashion giant Karl Lagerfeldwhich shaped Fendi for more than half a century.
Fendi celebrated this year 100th anniversary since its founding in Rome by Edoardo and Adele Fendi as a manufacturer of bags and furriers. Their five daughters – Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda – turned it into a global luxury fashion house.
“I return to Fendi with honor and joy, having had the honor of starting my career under the leadership of the founders of the house, the five sisters,” Chiuri said in a statement.
Chiuri's appointment comes amid a major game of musical chairs between creative directors at major houses, with many debuts taking place during fashion weeks in September and October.
Among them are Mathieu Blasi in Chanel, Jonathan Anderson in Dior, Piccioli in Balenciaga, worthy in Gucci, Alessandro Michele in Valentino, Simone Belotti in Jil Sander, Dario Vitale in Versace and Louise Trotter in Bottega Veneta.
Colleen Barry, Associated Press
