Fashion Pills x Maria Grazia Chiuri: The First Lady of Dior

Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Artistic Director of Christian Dior, talks about her journey in the fashion industry. She discusses her experiences working at Fendi and Valentino before joining Dior. Chiuri emphasizes the importance of empowering women and drawing inspiration from them. She also shares her love for Japanese culture and how it influenced her designs. Chiuri speaks about her collaboration with Pierpaolo Piccioli and their work at Valentino. She reveals the process of designing Chiara Ferragni's wedding dress and the significance behind it. The interview ends with Chiuri's quote about courage and self-definition. Hello everyone, welcome back to Fashion Pills channel. I'm Stella and Fashion Pills podcast gives insights, tips and stories regarding the fashion world and its prominent figures. Enjoy listening. Good morning everyone, welcome to our podcast Fashion Pills. My name is Stella and today is a very special day because I got the opportunity to interview one of the most influential and we can also say known designers in the present time of fashion. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Artistic Director of the French Maison Christian Dior. Hello everyone, thank you. Thank you Stella for having me, it's my pleasure to be here, thank you. So Maria Grazia, I would like to start by complimenting you for the fact that you are the very first female Artistic Director of a major house, of the fashion world of course, the one and only Christian Dior. For all of our fans, of course this may sound like a repetition, but I feel like the need to clarify to those of you who are not familiar with Maria Grazia Chiuri that she was born in Rome. Yes, exactly. Right? And Rome where you actually experienced the dynamic life of the fashion world and this is where you graduated from European Institute of Design and began working for the well-known Italian fashion brand Fendi. Yes. Starting from this, I'd like to ask you a question that you probably heard a million times. However, our listeners are eager to know more about it. How did it feel to be entitled of this massive role? Well Stella, as you said, it was one of the biggest privileges of my life to be working with such a big house as Fendi. And my career has been an escalation to be honest of beautiful experiences I collected in different Maisons and the first one I got the opportunity to work with was actually Fendi in 1989, which was right after I graduated from the European Institution of European Design. And it was, how can I say, Fendi introduced me to the world of fashion and I got the opportunity to work with such important figures in the haute couture world. And so I will always consider Fendi as the first, how can I say, the first house and the first family which introduced me to the fashion world. Nevertheless, I have to admit that after I started working at Fendi, I wanted to bring along with me one of my old time and long friends, Pierpaolo Piccioli. And I insisted, I remember vividly how I insisted with the people working at Fendi that I needed to have Pierpaolo with me because we met at IED and I remember we worked very well together so I needed him with me in my team. And right after Fendi we moved to Valentino, I mean Valentino called us and we worked with Valentino for the, I worked in the accessories designing and Valentino and Pierpaolo was working with the brand image for the women's fashion clothes. And we worked together for more than two decades now that I'm thinking of it. Wow, more than two decades because from 19... That's amazing. Yeah, we have a very long lasting friendship actually and I respect him on all levels of friendship, humankind, also working wise because he's very very clever and I really love him. So after Valentino I had this situation in which they called me for Dior and it was amazing, I couldn't believe myself. For me it's one of the biggest accomplishments of my whole life. So from 2016 onwards my life I have to say has changed completely because I had to move from Rome to Paris and I met different people, I had to learn also French which I have to say it's not easy exactly but I loved it, yes. And I feel very very much privileged. That's amazing, thank you and it was amazing hearing this. So as a prominent woman that of course made an outstanding career, you are of course very well known but in particular because of the claims in which you believe in and actually stand for such as the idea of making women feeling valued and empowered. And would you like to tell us more about it? Yes, naturally. Well my inspiration for my work has and will always be women because I feel we are the biggest and most powerful creature on earth. And in particular I've said it before different times but my inspiration for my work are my nonna and my mom and my sisters. I grew up in a family full of women, very strong minded women and so I very much respect it. Also since I had kids which was not going to say how many years because it's not nice to say how many years ago but since I had kids I had a daughter as well, Rachelle and she became actually very much inspiring for me because of her generation, people in their 20s are the future. So we as designers for such important houses of the fashion world we have to look at them to get inspiration from and to know how to adapt also our style to the requirements of the Gen Z and the new generations in general. So I definitely stand for empowering women and young generations and that's something that will always be present in my collection at Hobor. And also to me when I made my debut for Dior in 2016 I wanted to highlight this thing for me that is so important about women by including many slogans of feminists in my fashion show and the one I remember most of is we should all be feminists by famous artists and I remember this fashion show was something different, some people did not like it as much or they thought it was controversial but I'm actually very proud of the whole work that it became because I remember it with passion now and I still think it would work even nowadays. It was 2016 and back then maybe it was a move that was a little bit, how can I say, brave maybe, now it would be normal to put slogans like that. Yeah, exactly, but it's very like impressing, it was amazing, I remember it. So when it comes to guests which have to do with creative tasks and goals and with like couriers to know what pushed them to embark their journey and which has been their source of inspiration actually. So I'm aware that in your case as you said it was your mother and also sisters that's been important but I wanted to ask like how and why? Well as I told you I grew up in a family full of women so it was kind of like either I hated it or I loved it and in my case I loved it because we were different people with different characters and interests in general even though I felt very very close to my mom from the very beginning because she is the one who introduced me to the fashion world. She was sewing dresses for a living and it was truly inspirational for me and something I was always very eager to see her work and watch her sewing dresses and even the smallest garments it was something magical to me to look at and so my relationship with my mom was definitely important for the fashion as well not only on the sentimental kind of level but also for my future, for my future job and my sisters, wow, they're crazy. We have a very strong relationship with each other and we're four so I, yeah, it's a lot and my dad was definitely a saint to be honest living with so many women but as I told you it was very strong and you know we're Italian so we're very passionate with family, it's important for us so it's a value that I grew up with and I still cherish and bring along with my own family as well and I hope that I will transmit this with my kids. That's amazing to hear, like very interesting and I bet you guys used to fight a lot being Furkers actually. Yes. Okay, so speaking of your first Dior runaway which as you said took place in 2016, of course it's something that can be forgotten isn't it? And so I wanted to ask you how did you come across the Japanese culture and what made you fall in love with it? I fell in love with Japan because I visited it and now it's been plenty of times that I've been to Japan. I very much respect it because they have this vision of keeping the heritage and keeping the traditions of their culture but moving along with the future so respecting this heritage, respecting their own traditions but not, you know, staying just there, not moving forward and changing maybe or adapting their traditions to the present. And that's something I took inspiration from for my personal life and my job because working for such an important Maison as Dior, I knew I had the job of keeping the traditions of French fashion alive. I knew I had the task of keeping this tradition along with the future needs as I told you before. Even my daughter Raquel always tells me, oh mom, look at the needs of our generation. It's important to point out. Yeah, yeah, she's right. I don't know how old are you, Stella? I'm 21 actually. Okay, so then you definitely… So I can relate. Okay, yeah. Some stuff we need people to tell us, you know, for people my age. Exactly. I'm not going to tell you my age. But it's not straightforward as it is for your generation. So I saw that in the Japanese culture, this elegance and this power they have of keeping traditions along with the present. And also I really, really love the way they put hands literally in everything they do, you know, like the Japanese traditions with food, with their clothing, with their craftsmanship in general. It's always about putting their hands into the work. And that's something I cherish very much because I come from a family that, you know, my mom, she was sewing dresses as well. She was a sewer and… You also have an example. I do have an example. So I know what it means to put your hands into work literally. Exactly. I really like the Japanese culture for this and for their cherry blossoms are amazing. I love them. And in my designs I try to recreate them without, you know, putting the exact same thing every time. And I feel it's very elegant, ageless, gracious, very calm with their minimalist cuts and style in general. I will always love Japan and that's why for my first fashion show I wanted to dedicate to it some credits. So for my fashion show in 2016 in Dior, I very much highlighted this side of it. And I mean, it was amazing to see like how you combine actually with your style and Japanese culture like in, as you said, in order to make it like ageless and all of these things. It was a work of encountering my European heritage to the oriental one, you know. Of course. So it's… Which is a trend nowadays. It is a trend. To be like Asian culture. Yes, yes. Nowadays it's definitely different from… I mean, it's not like 2016 was 20 years ago but with the present times where everything is so fast and changing it in a minute, it seems like it was actually 20 years ago what I've done. But also it's not, you know. So, yeah, it was something I really love. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. It was really impressive. Maria Grazia, I'm aware that Pier Paolo Piccioli has been like a long-term collaborator for you during the 17 years spent at Valentino, as you mentioned before. And I'm aware that you both graduated from European Institute of Design and so I wanted to ask you if you already knew one another or not. Me and Pier Paolo, it's a funny story how we met. Because we met at the… in Italian it's called IED. Nobody will call it Institute European of Design. It seems so much… Pretty long. Exactly. It is fancy. But we called it IED. So, we met at IED in Rome. We're both from Rome and so it's funny because I remember seeing him to, you know, classes and everything. And we're both, you know, how artistic designers are. They're weird. I admit that. We have some kind of stuff that it's not easy to… But you're special, you know. We're creative minds together. Well, it's interesting, you know. This is a compliment and that's something very nice to say. Thank you. You're welcome. Yeah, no, we met maybe… if I remember correctly, yes, we met at the airport because I remember for a work we've had to do. They sent me to, you know, take him back to Rome. And I remember, you know, like meeting him at the airport without really talking to each other, you know. But we went along immediately. Like, as I told you before, I adore him. He has a creative mind that is… wow. I envy him sometimes. That's interesting though. Because, like, not necessarily two creative minds get along as well as you guys did actually. We were very much lucky and we had the same perspectives in so many different areas of fashion. But not just fashion because, you know, when you work so much with a person, you don't only have to get along with work. But you kind of have to have… Behind many perspectives. Yeah, you have to be on the same level on many other perspectives also for life, for spiritual level. It's a lot of things. And we've actually been, you know, getting along very easily. So, working with him was and still is a privilege even though we are not working together as creative directors together. I cherish very much the memories and the work we've done in the past at Valentino. I remember how happy we were when you made the collection for the Rockstad. Ah, yes, I know. For Valentino. Wow, wow, wow. But to be honest, the actual first work we've done was the famous baguette bag for Fendi. Wow, the iconic Fendi's bag. Amazing. It became iconic. I remember the story for this baguette bag was very funny because… I cannot tell you exactly why it's called baguette bag but it's very, very funny. It's a secret. It's a secret. Me and Pierpaolo, together with the other directors and the designers at Fendi, we worked with that. And now to be called iconic bag for me is weird and a privilege, honestly, an honor. So, I remember we've always been on the same level, on the same page, on the creative side. So, spending almost two decades with him didn't feel like, you know, that much. Exactly. And it was a pleasure to go to work and work with someone so similar to you and we stimulated each other. Yeah, that's very good and very nice. I bet that you actually felt when you moved to your… I mean, without him… Yeah, it was a big change, as I told you, from Rome to Paris. I mean, not that I was going in a bad place, you know. Of course, but still, there's a difference. I mean, I miss Paris, but come on, Rome, I miss it sometimes, I really do. But that's why my family is here and sometimes they come to Paris, but I want them to experience, especially for my kids, the Italian… The Italian everything, it feels bad. Yes, so… It definitely makes a difference when you're used to it, actually. So, I couldn't agree more and, well, one last question, Maya Grazia. If I know my gents well, I'm sure that they are thrilled and they are dying to know more about the process of designing Chiara's family dress for, of course, their wedding back to 2018. So, I'm asking, did you… like, did the two of you actually knew one another or not? Me and Chiara, well, yes, it's a story that dates back to… well, actually, I know her mom, Marina. We were, we are good friends, so I met Chiara many, many years ago, since she was a kid, so it's kind of like for me to be the aunt of Chiara, yes. That's super sweet. We have a very good relationship and I very much, you know, admire her work and the way she became, you know, so powerful, not in the sense of power, but like of influencing the generation, both in like fashion, but also being a female figure in male… Because maybe you can relate since you, like, believe in the idea of empowering women and I think she does as well, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's why she's definitely younger than me, but we got along immediately in the sense, so… I remember when she met Federico and it was very nice, very, very nice. She was so, so in love, so… She called me to make her wedding dress in 2018 and she actually, at the beginning, wanted to have just one dress, but then I told her that it would be fun to have two dresses, one for the ceremony… Exactly, one for the party. And one for the party and of course she said yes, because… I haven't thought about it. Because one dress is good, but you know, two dresses is the best, so… That's true, I agree. Yeah, and to have it like custom made just for you, I think it's something beautiful and so unique, you know, it's just for you. Of course, and made by you, well, that's a privilege, definitely a privilege. It was very nice to design it because I asked my tailors and all the designers for Dior to participate into this project because I wanted her to experience the importance of a dress, you know. Some people are like… A wedding dress, everything is important. It's so important. It's prominent importance, I would say. It's so important, so I knew she wanted to be a princess, but I knew her style, so for her wedding dress we decided to go for tule and so much embroidery on the upper side of the dress and it was all handmade. Wow. I told her… It took super long to make. It took so many hours, I remember, because I… One fun fact about this wedding dress is that it was tailored only by women. Ah! Only by women, so… That's funny. I was very proud of this, not because we wanted to not include men, of course, but we just found out, like, at the end of the work I realized it was made all by women and it was important for, you know, a woman, a bride, to wear a dress made by other women that got married and, you know, to take her along the… it was kind of a way to take her along the aisle of her wedding together with Miss Donna Dior, so the first dress was very, very important. The second one was more fun, you know, for the party. Yeah. I used my creativity. I remember seeing the pictures and saying, like, wow. Yes, it was amazing. I loved doing the inserts of Federico's song that he dedicated to her. Right, yeah. And so the dress was more, not childish, I'm going to say, because it was definitely not childish, but it had some draws and some lyrics of the song. And it was very much unique. I loved working on that design and my tailors hated me because they had to hand-made, like, the lyrics on the dress, which was all too late, but it came out perfectly, perfectly. Wow, that's very, very interesting and it was amazing hearing this. So, I can actually… cannot express in words how wonderful this interview has been for me. I truly admire you and your work as well as the rest of the work does, I bet. And we're all longing for your next collection, of course. So, thank you for your time and I would like to end our listeners with one of your most meaningful quotes, which is, you must always be courageous, don't let others define who you are, which is very profound, I would say. Very cute. So, thanks again. Thank you too. And have a nice… I wish you a nice day. Thank you.