Meet Raf Simons’s Replacement At Dior

Raf Simons's departure from Dior was one of the many high-profile shakeups that rocked the fashion industry in 2016, but the couture house has officially moved on, hiring Maria Grazia Chiuri to take over Simons's vaunted role of artistic director. Who is Maria Grazia Chiuri, you might be asking. The designer cut her teeth at Fendi before transitioning to designing accessories at Valentino, where she was subsequently promoted to join creative director in 2007.

As Business of Fashion notes, Chiuri joins the heritage house at a turbulent economic moment for luxury fashion in general. There's additional pressure in the wake of the much-beloved SImons's jarringly sudden departure. Dior Couture chief executive Sidney Toledo tells BofF he has the utmost confidence in Chiuri's abilities and grasp on the brand's identity, "We were talking about the vision of the woman of today, of tomorrow, of the young generation. The woman in different occasions — when she works, when she is shopping, when she is going for a cocktail or dinner. She has a global experience and big intuition, at the same time she is really pragmatic and the way she talks about it, it is very clear."

Either way, the public will have a chance to see Chiuri's influence for itself sooner rather than later: her first ready to wear collection will present on September 30, at Paris Fashion Week.