Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri Reported to Be Dior’s New, First Female Creative Director

After months of speculation following Raf Simons’s October 2015 departure from Christian Dior, we may finally have an answer to who will succeed him as creative director.

Reuters reports that Dior is set to announce Maria Grazia Chiuri, a joint creative director at Valentino, in the position after the Parisian fashion house’s couture show in July, according to “two people familiar with the matter.” Dior has yet to confirm a replacement for Simons, but should Chiuri fill the role, she would follow in the footsteps of formidable designers like Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano—and would also be the brand’s first female creative director.

A source tells WWD that Dior also considered Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez but that Chiuri’s “seasoned, steady hand” ultimately prevailed. Based on the insider, the outlet reports that the designer’s debut is set for Dior’s spring 2017 runway show, which takes place this fall.

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Chiuri has worked at Valentino alongside fellow creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, since 2007, following Valentino Garavani’s retirement that year.