Dior is Feminist

Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri became the creative director of Dior in 2016 after working with Fendi and Valentino. Immediately, Chiuri made a statement with her intentions at Dior: make the brand stand for something. In September 2016, shirts with the slogan “We should all be feminist” emerged at Paris Fashion Week as a part of Dior’s Spring 2017 collection. This phrase can be attributed to Nigerian author and feminist icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

In 2020, Chiuri ensured that Dior’s association with female empowerment became clearer. The 2020 Spring/Summer haute couture show displayed posters with feminist phrases, including “could men and women be equal?” At the 92nd Academy Awards in February 2020, Chiuri dressed Natalie Portman in a Dior cape with influential female directors’ names embroidered; the directors' named were notably 'snubbed' by the Oscars. During the presentation of a 1970’s inspired collection in March 2020, Chiuri displayed quotes such as “the patriarchy kills love” and “we are all clitorial women.” On March 8th, Women’s Day, the Italian Designer started a podcast series that was branded with the hashtags #Diorstandswithwomen and #Diorchinup.

Maria Grazia Chiuri understood her unique platform ran with it. She described to Vogue Runway that “the relationship between creativity and feminity really touched [her], because [she] live[s] that in a personal way” (Mower). Dior catapults the fashion industry into the conversation surrounding the relationship between fashion, women, and their bodies. The beauty of clothes is that they can be as much of an exemplification of your personality as you wish them to be.

Even though Chiuri has received criticism for her continued display of feminism, there is empowerment in the designer’s ability not to care. She understands the power of a large fashion house involving itself in a social issue that is so closely tied to the industry. Chiuri explains that with maturity, she has no fear when it comes to critics; she has accepted “the criticism of other people [and] respect[s] also the people that criticize [her] because [she has] found sometimes [that] the critics are very helpful to understand some aspect of [herself]. That is possible only with maturity.”

Women flock to Dior not only because of their established position in class and luxury but because of their dedication to becoming something more than a fashion house: the embodiment of motivation and empowerment. Any company that understands its influence over important social issues will establish a personal relationship with its customers.

Xoxo, layne