Maria Grazia Chiuri Named 2024 Recipient of the Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion

The accomplished Creative Director for Dior is celebrated for advancing the historic French house to a modern era of fashion for women by women

DALLAS, Jan. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus announces Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Women's Haute Couture, Ready-To-Wear and Accessories Collections for Dior, as the 2024 recipient of the Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion. This is the same distinction that was given to Monsieur Dior 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.

"The Neiman Marcus Awards celebrate global fashion luminaries who have inspired and shaped the industry," said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer, Neiman Marcus Group. "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."

Chiuri's internationally acclaimed career spans over 25 years with some of the world's most iconic fashion houses including Fendi and Valentino. Through her leadership and creative passion, she has brought an elegant and modern vision that pays homage to the house's heritage and revolutionary codes originally created by Monsieur Dior. Her insightful perspective inspires and engages women who recognize themselves in her fashion.

"I am honoured 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."

In less than a decade at the helm, Chiuri has led Dior to new heights as one of the most desirable luxury brands globally. Through her platform, she has showcased a multitude of female creatives on an unprecedented level and beyond her designs, she values community and culture. 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.

Stanely Marcus presented the same honor to Monsieur Dior in Dallas at the eve of his 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 preeminent place of Paris in this domain."

On March 3, Chiuri will be recognized in front of her peers and additional forthcoming honorees at the retailer's awards celebration during Paris Fashion Week at the iconic Ritz Hotel. This celebration will commence with a full year of multi-level programing with each recipient that will focus on connecting customers with unique experiences as part of its comprehensive 'retail-tainment' strategy.

"Throughout her career, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been a powerful force in the luxury industry, showing an unwavering dedication to the advancement of women in fashion," said Lana Todorovich, Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus. "Her creations will be brought to life through our 'retail-tainment' strategy which connects our customers to exclusive experiences from our premiere brand partners."

For more information, view the press kit or the Neiman Marcus Awards page on NeimanMarcusGroup.com.

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ABOUT NEIMAN MARCUS:
Neiman Marcus is a Dallas-based luxury retailer, providing customers access to exclusive and emerging brands, anticipatory service, and unique experiences since 1907. Each day, Neiman Marcus connects with customers worldwide while delighting them with exceptional experiences across a 36-store presence in the U.S., one of the largest U.S. e-commerce luxury platforms, and industry-leading remote selling and personalization technology. From delectable dining and indulgent beauty services to bespoke experiences and exclusive products, there is something for everyone. To keep up with the latest news and events at Neiman Marcus, visit neimanmarcus.com or follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

ABOUT THE NEIMAN MARCUS AWARDS:
The Neiman Marcus Awards is a platform to recognize and amplify breakthrough luminaries in fashion globally. The platform includes the prestigious Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion, a legacy established by Carrie Marcus Neiman and Stanley Marcus 86 years ago, as well as two expanded categories: the Neiman Marcus Award for Creative Impact in the Field of Fashion and the Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion.

The Distinguished Service Award has been given to over 150 luxury fashion luminaries in the industry, including Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Grace Kelly, Karl Lagerfeld, Elsa Schiaparelli, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo, Carolina Herrera, Estée Lauder, and Baccarat, among others.

In 2023, Neiman Marcus brought back the awards, honoring Brunello Cucinelli, Jonathan Anderson of LOEWE, and Amina Muaddi. Throughout the duration of the year, Neiman Marcus partnered with each designer to engage in highly successful, exclusive customer programming as part of its "retail-tainment" strategy.

For more information about the program and the 2023 award successes, click here.

ABOUT MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI:
Maria Grazia Chiuri was named Creative Director of women's haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections for Dior in July 2016, becoming the first woman to hold this position at the House. Across the seasons, and through her many collaborations, she reveals the talents, inventiveness and commitment of artists and artisans from around the world, whose savoir-faire, techniques and images nurture and enrich a priceless collective heritage.

"I strive to be attentive to what is happening in the world and to create fashion that resembles the women of today. Fashion that accompanies them in their transformations, avoiding stereotypical categories of «masculine/feminine, «young/less young,» and «reason/emotion,» which also have complementary aspects," Maria Grazia Chiuri explained at her first runway show for the House of Dior. Beyond gender and differences, she champions the importance of plurality and self-affirmation in the name of free will.

In her view, fashion is not only a means to better understand oneself, but also a tool for expressing one's identity and authentic, multi-faceted singularity. Her work is inspired by personalities who embody a true balance between grace and strength of character. Her muses include dancers, artists, photographers, activists and writers, as well as the courageous young women of today, first among them her daughter, Rachele.

Maria Grazia Chiuri was born in Rome in 1964. Inspired by her mother, a dressmaker, she knew early on that she wanted to work in fashion. She studied at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome, where she trained in the technical side of fashion design while exploring the cultural and artistic heritage of the Italian capital. Art history and cinema have always informed her work, notably during her time at Fendi, a House for which she designed handbags, starting in 1989. In 1999, she was appointed head of accessories at Valentino, and from 2008 to 2016 held the position of joint creative director alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli.

Since arriving at Dior in 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri has encouraged a celebration of universal empowerment and sorority. Through the messages in her collections and runway presentations, which are conceived like so many manifestos, such as "We Should All Be Feminists", "Sisterhood Is Powerful" and "Women's Love Is Unpaid Labour*", she reasserts and celebrates the values central to feminist (r)evolutions and the younger generations, transcending dictates and stereotypes more than ever through audacious artistic dialogues that are constantly reinvented.

On the occasion of the Dior fall-winter 2019-2020 haute couture show, Maria Grazia Chiuri was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor) by France's Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Marlène Schiappa. This prestigious recognition distinguishes the creative passion and commitment of the Creative Director, who through her involvement and vision of fashion and haute couture contributes to the influence of France and the House of Dior around the world.

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