“Another One!” Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri Cheers for Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller
Dior’s artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri touched down in New York City for the opening of the brand’s new boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue.
These days, it’s not unlikely to walk down Fifth Avenue in New York City and be confronted with feminism and techno music at the same time. And this was very much the case on Thursday, when Dior opened its new boutique and window display at Saks.
A soft oontz oontz could be heard from across 50th or 49th street, depending on where you were coming from, but it was impossible to miss Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s now-ubiquitous phrase, “We should all be feminists,” which is emblazoned on the house’s Spring 2017 $700 t-shirts and solidified in neon lights now, too. Then, “Dio(r)evolution” flashed across six LED screens installed in the store’s windows.
To mark the opening, Dior’s new artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri flew in from Paris. She’d spent the day prior at the Brooklyn Museum, where she was “completely inspired” by the exhibit dedicated to proto-feminist Georgia O’Keeffe. And on Thursday night, she was also joined by the brand’s face, Ruth Bell, as well as Karlie Kloss, Makenzie Leigh, Laura Love, Chelsea Leyland, and Harley Viera-Newton for cocktails at the store and dinner following at Indochine.
Mia Moretti
“I’m really proud, honestly,” said Chiuri of the success of these t-shirts in particular. “I never imagined this kind of reaction when I did it. I did this T-shirt because it was my personal view, but it’s also the point of view of so many women around the world.”
When Chiuri moved from Valentino, where she co-designed with Pierpaolo Piccioli, to Dior in July of 2016, she became the first woman ever to sit at the helm of the brand. And coincidentally, earlier on Thursday it was announced that Clare Waight Keller, formerly of Chloé, would be the first female designer at Givenchy.
On the subject of the Keller’s appointment, Chiuri threw up her hands in excitement. “Yes! I’m very happy!” she said. “Another one!” [Not quoting DJ Khaled, but maybe?]
“She comes from Chloé, so I hope they appoint another woman there,” Chirui said. (Owner Richemont has—Natacha Ramsay-Levi.) Has she ever met Keller, by any chance?
They haven’t, but Chiuri added: “When I’m back, I’ll tell her, ‘Well done.'”
Karlie Kloss
“Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”: 62 Fashion Insiders Speak Out in a Powerful Video for International Women’s Day
