
Maria Grazia Chiuri has been working in fashion since she was 20. She spent 10 years at Fendi after joining the brand as a designer in the accessories department in 1989. (The Baguette? She was quintessential to its making.) She was handpicked by Valentino Garavani himself in 1999, along with Pier Paolo Piccioli (Valentino’s current creative director) – he worked alongside her at Fendi too – to design accessories for his eponymous Italian design house. In 2008, the duo became co-creative directors of Valentino, and were responsible for taking the heritage brand to even greater heights and restoring it to its past glory. Despite years of being at the crux of several such seminal fashion moments, fame – in colossal magnitude – came only in 2016 when, at 52, she was appointed to lead the House of Dior. This time without a co-creative partner. It was the first time in the house’s illustrious history of making clothes for women that a woman was actually in charge of designing them (after foundercouturier Christian Dior, and following Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Bill Gaytten and Raf Simons). This itself warrants a conversation about women occupying positions of power in fashion.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

FIRST CRUSH ALERT!
The tween years are a time of emotional growth and exploration. Kayal Arivalan seeks expert advice to help you guide your child to navigate the complexities of early relationships

FLEETING MOMENTS OF LOVE
Ravina M Sachdev decodes 'nanoships', the latest relationship trend that is doing the rounds

IT'S CHOCOLATE!
Need we say more? These recipes from Chocolate: 100 Irresistible Recipes by SHIVESH BHATIA are perfect for this month of love

OBJECTS OF OUR AFFECTION
A pair of payals. A tattered book.*A plushie brooch. _ Nupur Sarvaiya gets 12 creatives and celebrities to chronicle a personal treasure that.is priceless to them

CUSHION IT RIGHT
Transform your home into a haven with cushions they can be the real game-changers when it comes to jazzing up a room.

Brand New BOMBSHELL
The vivacious RASHA THADANI takes life as it comes. The young debutante managed to juggle her studies with work when she was shooting for her debut film Azaad. She tells Shraddha Kamdar how she managed, and what she believes life holds for her

ZEN YOUR SCROLLS
Turn mindless swipes into mindful moves with these simple scrolling hacks.

YOUR GATEWAY TO RELAXATION
Unwind at the new ANGSANA OASIS SPA & RESORT in Bengaluru

Living Dream
Modern, street-smart, and a voice for young girls navigating challenges, Gen-Z go-getter PRAGATI NAGPAL talks to Kalwyna Rathod about spreading positivity and embracing individuality

The Green Thread
At the start of 2025, it only feels right to try and take a step in the direction of an issue that needs immediate addressing - fashion's problem with unsustainable business practices and their impact not only on the environment, but also on the people making the products. All's not grim, however. Even within this space, some brands have cut through the greenwashing noise and stand out for complete transparency in their businesses. We speak to the founders of four such fashion brands who have prioritised a slow approach to making clothes and have an overall ethical outlook. They care for environmental and social impact as much as - if not more than their profit margins, finds Ashwini Arun Kumar