Chiuri hints at future during Dior’s Paris Fashion Week

Dior womenswear chief designer Maria Grazia Chiuri gave little indication of her future at the French fashion house Tuesday, presenting what could be her final collection at Paris Fashion Week. The Fall/Winter 2025 show, structured around the elements of earth, air, ice, and fire, was held in the Tuileries Gardens.

Chiuri, who has led Dior’s womenswear since 2016, remained tight-lipped at the conclusion of the 25-minute show, briefly acknowledging the applause of a crowd that seemed lighter on A-list celebrities than usual.

The live-streamed show, divided into segments reflecting the elements, featured models in muted tones of black, beige, slate grey, and green, with 1980s-inspired designs. The collection included trench coats, embroidered blouses in white and cream, high leather boots, and long dresses with fake fur, lace, and sheer materials—key features of recent catwalk trends.

Speculation surrounding Chiuri’s future remains intense, with persistent rumors suggesting she may be nearing the end of her tenure at Dior. Under her leadership, Dior has become the second-largest brand in the luxury portfolio of LVMH, the French conglomerate owned by Bernard Arnault. However, some have suggested the brand may be in need of a refresh, especially with Arnault's daughter Delphine taking charge of the company in February 2023.

Chiuri, the first woman appointed as Dior’s creative director, previously worked at Valentino and Fendi. She has refrained from commenting on rumors regarding her future. In an interview with Grazia magazine last month, Chiuri reflected on how the fashion industry had evolved over her 40-year career.

"Fashion used to be about family companies and there were small audiences — clients and buyers," she said. "Now fashion is like a channel. It's something more popular, it's like pop. It's a form of media."

Dior also parted ways with its long-time artistic director for menswear, Kim Jones, in January.

Looking ahead, more than 100 fashion houses are set to present their Fall-Winter 2025-2026 collections during Paris Womenswear Fashion Week, aiming to capture sales in an increasingly challenging global luxury market.

One of the most anticipated moments of the week will be Sarah Burton’s debut at Givenchy on Friday. Burton, formerly the creative director at Alexander McQueen, was appointed to Givenchy in September.

In addition, Julian Klausner will showcase his first collection for Dries Van Noten on Wednesday, after taking over from the Belgian designer last year. The French Haute Couture and Fashion Federation has also attracted Tom Ford to Paris for the first time, with Haider Ackermann set to debut his collection at Ford’s label after taking the reins in September.