Valentino Brand Co Creative Director Quit

Latest news from Milan, Italy

Valentino announced today

Maria Grazia Chiuri, CO creative director, left.

Last month, according to TFL, Christian Dior confirmed that Maria Grazia Chiuri would become the brand creative director within the company, which would make her Dior.

Dior, the first female creative director in 70 years, declined to comment after the news came out.

In November last year, American fashion media first reported that Maria Grazia Chiuri might join Dior to replace Raf Simons.

In May 31st, there were media reports that Maria Grazia Chiuri was one of the three candidates who eventually screened the position.

The departure of Maria Grazia Chiuri means the end of cooperation with another joint creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino. The cooperation between them has lasted for more than 20 years. The two designer's Valentino fashion show in Paris on Wednesday night will become a masterpiece. Valentino has updated the announcement in social media Twitter, Pierpaolo Piccioli has been appointed as the only creative director of the field.

The two partners worked together for 10 years in Fendi. Since October 2008, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been the joint creative director of Valentino. She and Pierpaolo Picciol are considered as important innovators of Valentino by the fashion industry. Their designed Rockstud shoes have swept the fashion circle and are the achievements of Valentino.

Maria Grazia Chiuri has always been the target of the industry. Earlier, there was a rumor that Gucci had contacted Maria Grazia Chiuri before Alessandro Michele was promoted to creative director, so that she could take the post of Frida Giannini.

In the background of a downturn in luxury goods business, Valentino's brand revenue surged 48% last year to exceed $1 billion, of which half of the total sales of accessories products accounted for half of the total turnover. Analysts say Dior has locked its eyes on Maria Grazia Chiuri to further develop the brand's accessories department.

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 company's turnover fell by 1% to 429 million euros. The company was mainly affected by the weakness of several Asian markets.

Bernard Arnault, the main shareholder of the brand and chairman of 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.

John Galliano, who once served as the creative director of Dior, was not brilliant at the end of his career, because he delivered anti Jewish remarks at a bar in Paris. Dior CEO Sidney Toledano dealt with the crisis stably, but with more difficult decisions of creative directors.

Sidney Toledano said in an interview with reporters two weeks ago: "good people often mean instability. If you want talents and stability to have both, it's a dream, so you have to be prepared."

The CEO's past experience may explain why he spent so much time recruiting new designers after Raf Simons left.