Fendi has made it official: Maria Grazia Chiuri is heading to the Rome-based label as creative director —  confirming months of industry speculation. The award-winning designer steps into the high profile role following Kim Jones’ exit just over one year ago, and takes the reins from interim lead Silvia Venturini Fendi.

The Italian designer departed Dior in May after a history-making nine-year stint as the maison’s first female creative director. Taking up the top position at Fendi marks a homecoming for the Rome-native, as it’s where she started out her career as a handbag and accessories designer in 1989.

During her formative years at the label, Chiuri met Pierpaolo Piccioli, and the fledgling talents went on to work on developing styles, like Venturini Fendi’s era-defining Baguette bag, together before being hand-picked by Valentino Garavani to head up accessories at his company — you can thank them for the conceiving the endearingly popular Rockstud designs. In 2008, the creative duo were named as lead designers at Valentino in a successful partnership that continued until Dior came calling for Chiuri. (Pierpaolo stayed solo until March 2024, and notably made his debut as Balenciaga’s creative director this season.)

Chairman and CEO of LVMH Group Bernard Arnault, who first tapped Chiuri to infuse Dior with a soft, romantic, and staunchly feminist point of view, called her “one of the greatest creative talents in fashion today.” Confirming the news of her appointment at Fendi on Tuesday morning, Arnault added: “I am delighted that she has chosen to return to Fendi to continue expressing her creativity.”

Chiuri, 61, called it a “joy and honor” and said she’s ready to dive in to write a new chapter. Her hire also makes her an increasingly rare breed: a prolific female designer leading one of Europe’s main luxury houses.

“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 [Fendi sisters] to foster and nurture generations of vision and skill,” she said.

As for Venturini Fendi, who announced she was stepping down as creative director mere days after presenting her Spring/Summer 2026 collection in Milan last month, she will stay on as honorary president. The legendary accessories designer is the only remaining family member working at the label founded by her grandparents in 1925.

Chiuri will stage her first runway outing in Milan in February for the Fall/Winter 2026 season.