Dior&#39;s womenswear creative director has made feminism a fundamental part of her work, as demonstrated by her first collection for Dior in 2016 which included the T-shirt with the words &quot;We should all be feminists&quot;.

Creative director of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/dior-maria-grazia-chiuri-miss-dior-autumn-winter-2024-paris-fashion-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dior</a> womenswear since 2016, the first woman to hold the role in the history of the Maison, the designer started as an accessories designer at Fendi and then moved to Valentino , where she was co-creative director of the brand together with <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/valentino-haute-couture-2024-spring-summer-pierpaolo-piccioli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pierpaolo Piccioli</a>. For the designer, born in 1964, feminism is an integral part of her life as she has said on more than one occasion. &laquo;I had a mother who lived the Italian feminism of the 70s, in some way I unconsciously benefited from it&raquo; says <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/5-minutes-to-meet-maria-grazia-chiuri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maria Grazia Chiuri</a> . So much so that she took it to the catwalk right from her first collection for the Avenue Montaigne maison. Paris, September 2016. The spring-summer 2017 ready to wear on the catwalk. Look 16: an impalpable skirt embroidered with a triumph of astrological motifs, one of the obsessions of the founder, Monsieur Christian Dior, combined with a simple T-shirt/poster of white cotton with a powerful writing: We should all be feminists, a quote from the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. L'OFFICIEL: What does the word feminism mean to you? MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI: Feminism is a legacy. They are the struggles and achievements that we have inherited from past generations. And it is a responsibility to keep them alive and visible because, unfortunately, many of the past victories are in danger. In this sense, feminism is also a daily commitment: we must speak and defend women's rights, in every aspect of their lives. LO: How much does the feminist movement inspire your creativity? MGC: I feel very close to and inspired by feminist artists who have used their creative voices to help change common perceptions and spark debates through their artwork. I have had the great privilege and opportunity to collaborate with many of them who have agreed to work with me on my exhibitions, from Judy Chicago to Tomaso Binga, from Lucia Marcucci to Mariella Bettineschi, just to name a few. I don't bring their art into my design process, but I feel like we collectively reflect, with our language, on women's bodies and visibility. LO: How do you see the role of women in our society? MGC: I think it is still very much shaped by visions and values ​​of the past. Patriarchal narratives are still a driving force and influence how women of all ages live their lives. LO: What should be improved/changed? MGC: There are so many things to change and improve that it's difficult to give a short answer. But if there's one thing I truly believe in, it's education. And education for all and at all ages: this is where change can come from.

LO: Your creations always carry a message... what do you think is the role of a designer today? MGC: The role of the designer changes with society's aspirations: yesterday it was about providing a form of escape through beauty, as in the case of Monsieur Dior. Later, fashion became self-expression, a form of creative freedom. This is what I grew up with. But I believe that today, while the idea of ​​beauty and personal creativity play an important role, a stylist cannot be disconnected from the social and political reality of his time. LO: Can clothes change the world? MGC: They can't change the world per se, but they can make us see the world differently. I believe that the power of fashion to make people and ideas visible is extremely strong. LO: What advice would you give to a man of today to improve the society of tomorrow? MGC: It's as simple as the message on the t-shirt: we should all be feminists. It's not a gender issue, it's a question of values ​​and behavior. LO: What do you hope for the women of tomorrow? MGC: Only the best, and the hope of being able to offer them a slightly better world. LO: The T-shirt launched in its first collection with the slogan &ldquo;WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS&rdquo; has become &nbsp; a real manifesto. MGC: Books and essays play a fundamental role in my work. I find that reading, thinking critically about themes and concepts informs my creative process. But in this first collection I also wanted to make a direct statement , and that's something that T-shirts , with their cultural and political power, allow us to do: they can convey a slogan effectively. After listening to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and reading her speech , I simply wanted to share and shout out this very clear and impactful statement to the world .

Women's rights: the interview with Maria Grazia Chiuri

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