Delphine Streets

Optimizing Dior is the first true test for its new C.E.O., Delphine Arnault, who has inherited a sprawling house that aspires to design under one vision, but often falls short of that noble goal. Her own vision for its future—both creatively and structurally—will determine whether she has what it takes to win the family succession battle.

When she was appointed Dior C.E.O., Delphine Arnault inherited a complex infrastructure that was only growing more unwieldy, despite the best efforts—or at least efforts—to unify the brand. Photo: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images

Lauren Sherman

September 26, 2024

The other day, I was texting with a friend about the state of Dior—the fate of menswear designer Kim Jones, sure, but mainly creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s womenswear show that took place Tuesday here in Paris. This friend, who was sitting in the front row, had a funereal take. There was a lot of black, this person said. And bodysuits. And the asymmetrical necklines Chiuri favors. “It looked like a final show,” this person told me.