Maria Grazia Chiuri returns to Fendi as Chief Creative Officer
Maria Grazia Chiuri has officially returned to Fendi as Chief Creative Officer, nearly three decades after beginning her career at the Roman maison. She will present her first Autumn/Winter 2026 collection during Milan Fashion Week next February.
Chiuri’s appointment comes six months after her departure from Dior, where she served as Womenswear Creative Director and became the first woman to lead the brand’s design team.
This is a full-circle moment for the esteemed designer. Chiuri’s career at Fendi, from 1989 to 1999, included ten years in accessories design, where she notably helped shape the house’s signature Baguette bag. She later moved to Valentino alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli, rising to joint Creative Director, before joining Dior in 2016.
Her return follows the departure of Silvia Venturini Fendi from the Creative Director role in September, after holding the fort for womenswear since Kim Jones left in 2024. Venturini Fendi, the last family member actively involved in creative design, was promoted to honorary president, with her new role focusing on preserving the house’s heritage and overseeing Fendi Casa. This shift left the question of Fendi’s creative leadership unanswered - one that industry insiders had long anticipated would be Chiuri.
Ramon Ros, Fendi CEO, said: "Her talent and vision will be instrumental in fortifying Fendi’s heritage, shaping the future talent in the house and deepening our commitment to Italian craftsmanship."
LVMH Chairman, Bernard Arnault, added: "Maria Grazia Chiuri is one of the greatest creative talents in fashion today… Maria Grazia will contribute to the artistic renewal and future success of the maison, while perpetuating its unique heritage."
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The timing of Chiuri's return coincides with broader strategic shifts. Ros, who took over as CEO in July, is tasked, along with the new Chief Creative Officer, with navigating the brand into its second century.
The timing is crucial. Parent company LVMH is navigating a luxury slowdown, reporting a 15% drop in first-half profits to €9.01 billion (£7.8 billion). Its fashion and leather goods division - home to Fendi, Dior and Louis Vuitton - saw revenue fall 7% to €19.1 billion (£16.6 billion) as affluent shoppers tightened spending after years of price hikes.
Chiuri said: "I return to Fendi with honour and joy, having had the privilege of beginning my career under the guidance of the house’s founders, the five sisters. Fendi has always been a forge of talents and a starting point for many creatives in the industry.
"I am grateful to Mr Arnault for entrusting me with the task of helping to write a new chapter in the history of this extraordinary women-founded company."
Known for using fashion as a platform for female empowerment, most famously with Dior’s SS17 "We Should All Be Feminists" t-shirts, her collections often foreground women’s experiences. How will she use her Romantic minimalism to redefine Fendi? All shall be revealed next February.
