Family ties

At the end of her first year as Dior CEO, Delphine Arnault is proving to be a powerful protector of legacy and a leader poised to make waves.

- GABY WOOD

On the morning of 1 February last year, Delphine Arnault stepped into her new office in Paris as chairman and CEO of Christian Dior. The eldest child and only daughter of Bernard Arnault—who is, more often than not, the richest man in the world—has moved up through the ranks of her father’s companies at LVMH over the course of a couple of decades, quietly absorbing every aspect of the fashion business. Now, at 49, she has the crown jewel in her hands: the first fashion house bought by Arnault, the place where he had taken her on weekends as a child, the realm of Monsieur Dior, the designer who, 77 years ago, changed the way women dreamed of their lives. Dior’s name is inextricably linked to the history of France—and on that day, Delphine became the first woman to be in charge of the maison.

I first met her seven months after the start of her reign, in the studio of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri in Paris. Fragile-featured, with a composure to match her nearly six-foot height, Delphine greets me in a navy Dior trouser suit. It’s the eve of the spring-summer 2024 show and models are walking back and forth in the studio as small adjustments are made and accessories considered. Chiuri, in jeans and a black jumper, sits next to Delphine. If, in 1947, Christian Dior was telling a story about women’s lives and the future they hoped for, the first two women to lead the company are telling a new one. The house of Dior is moving into an era where two busy working mothers are in a position to determine what women wear and how they feel. “Fashion has to help you to feel that you’re free,” says Chiuri.

As the clothes appear, Delphine absorbs, never intervenes. “How many looks do you have?” she asks Chiuri.

“Seventy-eight,” Chiuri replies. “Rachele cut five.” Rachele Regini, Chiuri’s 27-year-old daughter and cultural advisor, is behind us, readying the models and overseeing operations.