Christian Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri awarded French Legion of Honour

Chiuri is the luxury fashion house's first female artistic director

Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri has been awarded the Legion of Honour hours after the luxury fashion brand’s Couture Fall 2019 fashion show.

Chiuri was presented with the award at Dior’s Avenue Montaigne headquarters and was joined by her friends, family and colleagues, including fellow designer Alber Elbaz, photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who inspired her “We Should All Be Feminists” T-shirt.

Marlene Schiappa, France's Secretary of Equality between men and women, was on hand to present Chiuri with the accolade.

During the presentation, Schiappa conducted a touching speech about the fashion designer’s career, from her determination to empower women to her rise in becoming Dior’s first-ever female artistic director, WWD reports.

“Feminism, that word which has too often been rejected, is making a comeback, largely thanks to you — and also thanks to this little rising singer called Beyoncé,” the minister jested.

“Convinced that fashion is a political act, you are careful to reflect your values in each of your designs, and under your leadership, fashion shows are turning into fascinating conversations between fashion, art, culture, activism and feminism.”

Chiuri followed with an equally poignant speech in which she expressed how grateful she was to receive the distinction.

“Receiving such an important honour in France, which represents fashion and culture, and from the hands of a woman like Marlene Schiappa, who expresses the most important values for me, is a new emotion,” Chiuri said, before calling on young women to “believe in themselves and follow their instincts".

The 55-year-old also thanked those who had helped her throughout her career including the Fendi sisters – Paola, Anna, Franca and Alda inherited the small Roman leather goods workshop from their parents, Edoardo and Adele, and transformed it into a global luxury fashion house – and Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH and the world’s third-richest person.

“Dior is a maison that represents femininity, and for this reason I believe that my commitment is to make women aware of their potential, and I thank the maison that supports me to give a voice to women and their work,” Chiuri said.

“Their commitment can change the world.”

Dior spring/summer 2018 (Getty)

Chiuri started her career at Italian fashion brand Fendi, where she was part of the accessories team that designed the legendary "Baguette It" bag, before working at luxury Italian house Valentino where she eventually became co–creative director with her longtime design partner, Pierpaolo Piccioli.

In 2016, Chiuri left Valentino to become Dior’s first female artistic director and has spent the last three years transforming the brand from one of the most feminine houses to one of the most feminist.