As fashion month ends and we bid adieu to the season’s fourteen debuts, it seems the great Creative Director reshuffle continues. This morning, Fendi announced the appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri as Chief Creative Officer, succeeding Silvia Venturini Fendi—a Roman homecoming!

The Italian designer had previously served as the artistic director of the women’s collections of Christian Dior—haute couture and ready-to-wear—for nearly a decade before announcing her departure in May.

This isn’t the first time Grazia has found herself at Fendi, however. After studying at Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, the Italian designer first joined Fendi in 1989, where she worked on the house’s handbag lines, developing and popularizing the iconic Fendi Baguette (alongside Balenciaga’s Pierpaolo Piccioli). A decade later, she took her talents to Valentino, first assuming a role in accessories, then as artistic co-director of the label (alongside Piccioli again!), before being named the first woman to lead Dior’s women’s collections in 2016.

“I return to FENDI with honour and joy, having had the privilege of beginning my career under the guidance of the House’s founders, the five sisters,” says Chiuri, in a statement with the maison. “FENDI has always been a forge of talents and a starting point for many creatives in the industry, thanks to the extraordinary ability of these five women to foster and nurture generations of vision and skill. I am grateful to Mr. Arnault for entrusting me with the task of helping to write a new chapter in the history of this extraordinary women-founded company.”

The designers’ first collection at the Roman maison is set to debut next February for the Fall/Winter 2026-27 season, premiering in Milan.

“Surrounded by the Fendi teams and in a city that is dear to her, I am convinced that Maria Grazia will contribute to the artistic renewal and future success of the Maison, while perpetuating its unique heritage,” says Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH Group.