Dior Appointed Maria Grazia Chiuri As Brand Creative Director.

After more than 7 months after the departure of Raf Simons, France

Christian Dior today appointed Maria Grazia Chiuri, the former design director of Valentino, as the brand creative director, which will make her the first female creative director in Dior for 70 years.

Valentino and Dior declined to comment after the news came out.

Citing TFL news from the US, Maria Grazia Chiuri will join Dior in July after completing the Valentino fashion show. Dior will formally announce the decision after July's fashion show.

Since October 2008, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been the joint design director of Valentino.

She and another design director, Pierpaolo Picciol, are regarded as the important innovators of Valentino by the fashion industry. The Rockstud shoes they designed have swept the fashion circle, and are the meritorious service of doubling the turnover of Valentino.

Since 2010, sales of Valentino brands have doubled, with a total value of 274 million euros.

In the background of the downturn of luxury goods in 2014, Valentino's net profit still rose 57%, and the sales of accessories products accounted for half of the total turnover.

Dior belongs to the world's largest luxury goods group LVMH, its annual sales of about 5 billion euros, of which more than 3/5 of sales from perfume and cosmetics.

Since last October, people have been wondering who will take the post of Dior creative director when Raf Simons leaves.

Sales growth of Dior has been stagnant in recent months as demand for luxury goods has slowed down and European tourism has failed after attacks in Paris and Brussels.

In the first three months ended March 31st, the turnover of the company fell by 1%, which was 429 million euros, mainly by several Asian countries.

Weak impact.

Bernard Arnault, the main shareholder of the brand and the chairman of France's richest LVMH, has been trying to ensure the sales performance of the classic brand.

However, the choice of talents available now is very limited. What is more cruel is that most creative directors can not prove their achievements through their one-year contract.

Executives in the fashion industry say they are hiring a new one.

There are no fixed routines in chief inspector. There is a great difference between requirements and expectations, especially depending on the size and history of the brand, but also the pursuit of the continuity and creativity of the design.

A fashion personage who does not want to be named reveals that Dior's desire is to find a designer with personal charisma, strong vision and willing to work under limited and rigorous conditions.

Fashion critics say that with the addition of Maria Grazia Chiuri, it may mean that the French brand of Dior, which is biased in modern style, will return to the romantic, fairy tale design style.

Mayhoola, the parent company of Valentino, acquired the French luxury brand Balmain this week, with a turnover of about 460 million euros.