Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri awarded prestigious Legion d’honneur

Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri became the latest recipient of France’s top civilian award, the Legion d’honneur, on Monday (01Jul19).
France’s gender equality minister Marlene Schiappa presented the Dior creative director with the accolade during a star-studded ceremony following Chiuri’s fall 2018 haute couture show in Paris.
“I can’t believe it!” the 55-year-old exclaimed, as she was swarmed by well-wishers, including her husband and two children, photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, Bianca Jagger, model Coco Rocha, and actress Shailene Woodley at Dior’s Avenue Montaigne headquarters.
During her speech, the visibly emotional designer urged young women to believe in themselves and follow their instincts.
“Even today, I still feel like the curious girl who went to school in Rome to learn fashion design,” she said. “Receiving such an important honour in France, which represents fashion and culture, and from the hands of a woman like Marlene Schiappa, who expresses the most important values for me, is a new emotion.”