Neiman Marcus is to award Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri its Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion for 2024, the same distinction given to Monsieur Dior back in 1947.
“Dior’s first female creative director receives the honor as a transformative creative visionary who has made a significant impact on the luxury fashion industry,” said Neiman Marcus in a release.
Chiuri, Dior’s creative director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections for the past seven years, has become an internationally acclaimed creator with her inspired designs and feminist slant with the Paris-based house.
“I am honored and delighted to receive the Neiman Marcus Award. Receiving this award given to Christian Dior in 1947, in recognition of the extraordinary impact his first collection had on the world of fashion, fills me with pride. Since my arrival at Dior, I have striven every day to respect this heritage that is part of the history of fashion, while also using my own poetic approach to shape the future of the brand in our complex world that is constantly bringing new challenges,” said Chiuri.
“This award pushes me to keep giving my all, doing the best I can for women, helping them to find the awareness they need to never give up on themselves and to overcome all hurdles. It is to them, to all the women who have made me a better woman, that I dedicate this award. I also dedicate it to Michela Murgia: an author, activist, friend, and endless source of inspiration,” added the Rome-born couturier.
The award by the Texas-based department store has long been regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in fashion. Chiuri will receive the awards in front of her peers and additional forthcoming honorees on March 3 at the retailer’s awards celebration during Paris Fashion Week at the iconic Ritz Hotel. Previous winners include Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Valentino Garavani, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera, Giorgio Armani, Elsa Schiaparelli and last year Brunello Cucinelli.
“The Neiman Marcus Awards celebrate global fashion luminaries who have inspired and shaped the industry,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Neiman Marcus Group CEO.
“We recognize Maria Grazia Chiuri with the same award Monsieur Dior won for her extraordinary work at the House of Dior that has catapulted female creative representation in the industry. Her historic appointment at the Parisian Maison has ushered in a new era of cultural impact for the brand,” he added.
Founder Stanely Marcus presented the same honor to Monsieur Dior in Dallas at the eve of the French couturier’s career.
In his memoirs, Monsieur Dior remarks the formative experience as the moment his young brand was able to first connect with the American customer. “Rereading the letter, I discovered that the Oscar…would for the first time be awarded to a French couturier and that I was going to receive this accolade as early as my first collection!,” said Christian Dior in his book Dior: The Autobiography of Christian Dior. “What was being recognized was the awakening of French fashion. It was my duty to represent my country on such an honorable occasion, confirming the pre-eminent place of Paris in this domain.”
Chiuri’s internationally acclaimed career spans over 25 years with some of the world’s most iconic fashion houses including Fendi and Valentino.
Chiuri has earned notable recognition for her efforts to create stronger female leadership and permanent impact on the industry. As a women co-founded and majority women-led organization, Neiman Marcus Group shares her value of women’s empowerment within the company and industry, the release noted.
Chiuri, who was previously awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur by France’s Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Marlène Schiappa, will stage her next couture show for Dior on Monday, January 22.
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