ROMAN HOLIDAY: Maria Grazia Chiuri has taken her Dior cruise show to destinations including Athens, Mexico City and Scotland’s picturesque Drummond Castle, but next year she’ll be alighting close to home with a show set for May 27 in Rome.
Born and raised in the Eternal City, the designer spent her early career working for Rome-based brands Fendi and Valentino. She is married to Paolo Regini, who runs his own clothing line making handmade shirts in the city, and commutes between Italy and France.
Despite her formidable workload as Dior’s artistic director of women’s collections, Chiuri has also taken on a personal project: restoring a historic theater in her hometown.
The Teatro della Cometa, or Comet Theater, went dark during the pandemic and the designer purchased the 250-seat, horseshoe-shaped venue in order to give it a second life.
“I want to renovate this little theater because it’s an important part of the history of Rome, and I hope that next year it will be finished,” Chiuri told WWD last December.
The premiere of “Philip Glass Evening” featuring costumes by Dior artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Julien Benhamou/Courtesy Photo
She has previously designed costumes for ballet performances in Rome, but this will be her first Dior show in the Italian capital. The French fashion house plans to reveal the exact location at a later date.
Chiuri typically collaborates with local craftspeople on the annual collection, which has the potential to significantly boost tourism revenues in its destination.
With Dior’s announcement, next year’s cruise calendar is gradually coming into focus. Chanel is set to kick off the season with a show on Lake Como on April 29. Louis Vuitton has said it plans to stage its display on May 23, but has yet to disclose a location.
Fendi, which like Dior is owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is poised to mark its centenary next year, with Rome also expected to play a role in those celebrations — though it will kick off proceedings with a coed fashion show during Milan Fashion Week next February.
Maria Grazia Chiuri
Courtesy image
