Dior Confirms Maria Grazia Chiuri's Departure and Brain Dead Opens Inaugural NYC Outpost in This Week's Top Fashion News

Summary

• In the luxury sector, new developments are taking shape as Maria Grazia Chiuri departs from Dior, while contemporary French label Jacquemus reveals its independent holding company, and the ANDAM Fashion Awards unveils its Grand Prize nominees, including Mexican-American designer Willly Chavarria.
• Some international streetwear labels are making big moves, as Brain Dead expands its retail presence to NYC and Children of the Discordance is welcomed into the 108th Pitti Uomo programming. However, others are stopped in their tracks as French label Vetements is halted from trademarking its name in the US.

Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the top fashion stories of the week so you can stay up to date on trends in the industry.

Maria Grazia Chiuri Steps Down as Dior Women's Artistic Director

Early on Thursday, Maria Grazia Chiuri announced her departure as the creative director of Dior‘s womenswear and couture lines, ending her nine-year tenure at the French fashion house. The news broke just days after her Cruise 2026 show in Rome, now understood to be her final collection for the house. In 2016, Chiuri made history when she became the first woman to lead Dior since its founding in 1947.

Delphine Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture shared, “I extend my warmest thanks to Maria Grazia Chiuri, who, since her arrival at Dior, has accomplished tremendous work with an inspiring feminist perspective and exceptional creativity, all imbued with the spirit of Monsieur Dior, which allowed her to design highly desirable collections.” Her tenure was characterized by a distinctly feminist perspective, pushing empowering slogans and collaborating extensively with female artists for her runway show scenography. While her successor has yet to be officially named, rumors suggest that Jonathan Anderson, who was recently confirmed as the creative director for Dior Men, may also take over the womenswear line.

Brain Dead Opens New NYC Outpost

The Los Angeles-based creative collective Brain Dead has inaugurated its first retail outpost in New York City, located at 202 Elizabeth Street. The expansion from the West Coast marks a major step for the brand, establishing its presence on the East Coast and offering a physical hub for its diverse community of fans and collaborators. The new store features a playful interior design imbued with eclectic details, including a large hippo art sculpture and fixtures adorned with 3D-printed ornamentation.

The move to open a flagship store in New York City reflects Brain Dead’s growing community and its affinity for immersive brand experiences. Expected to serve as more than just a retail space, the store functions as a physical hub of the collective’s ethos, bridging different worlds, scenes, and perspectives under one roof, much like their existing Brain Dead Studios on Fairfax Street in Los Angeles.

Jacquemus' New Holdings Company Is Worth More Than $500 Million USD

Jacquemus has brought all of its business matters under one roof with its very own holdings company, Jacquemus La Maison Mère. Formally founded in March and chaired by designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, the Paris-based company presently operates two branches: Jacquemus La Mode, or the label’s ready-to-wear business valued at €530 million EUR, and Jacquemus La Beauté, or the brand’s beauty line valued at €46.1 million EUR, per Fashion Network. The entity holds 98.15% of the former and 100% of the latter, which, together, are valued at €576.1 million EUR.

It was February when Jacquemus entered its an exclusive beauty partnership with L’Oréal as the French cosmetics conglomerate acquired a 10% minority stake in the company. The following month, Jacquemus appointed Sarah Benady, previously president of Celine North America, as its new chief executive officer to lead the company toward “[becoming] a leading global luxury house.” As Jacquemus continues to eye international growth, Jacquemus La Maison Mère lays the foundation for an ever-expanding brand world that's increasingly reaching into other product categories.

Willy Chavarria Among 2025 Finalists for Top ANDAM Prize

Following his star-studded debut at Paris Fashion Week last January, Mexican-American menswear designer Willy Chavarria is among the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Awards 2025 finalists for the Grand and Special Prizes. Joining Chavarria is French mens label EGONlab, which won the Pierre Bergé Prize in 2021, and three women’s designers: Alain Paul, Meryll Rogge, and Zomer. Founded in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour, with the French Ministry of Culture, ANDAM was conceived as an incubator initiative and accolade for assisting young emerging designers on the French and international scene.

On this year’s selection, Dufour said, “Whatever their level of development, whether nascent or more established brands, the need for liquidity is a fundamental topic to ensure their perenity,” in a statement for WWD. “The profiles selected also offer an interesting vision of the different economic models that can be invented to stand out and carve a space in a very competitive industry: B2C strategy, niche positioning, and managed growth, innovative and ecologically committed.” The 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award ceremony will be held on June 20 at 7 pm CEST.

Children of the Discordance to Stage a Runway Show at Pitti Uomo 108

As menswear designers, buyers, journalists, and aficionados prepare to gather for the 108th edition of Pitti Uomo at Florence’s Fortezza da Basso, Asia-based designers are making a bigger splash than ever. From June 17 to 20, the event will showcase the Spring/Summer 2026 collections of over 730 brands in a winding exhibition-like trade show, and it will host a series of runway presentations from several designers. Those will include previously announced guest of honor Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, guest designers PAF (Post Archive Faction) and Niccolò Pasqualetti, and now, Children of the Discordance. The brand, launched in 2011 by Hideaki Shikama, has established a distinct aesthetic, incorporating sophisticated craftsmanship into deconstructed streetwear, and reworked materials. In collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organization, Pitti Uomo has brought on the Hideaki Shikama-led brand to host a “Special Event” during the trade fair, which will include a runway show, on June 17.

Vetements Too "Generic" to Be Trademarked in the US

Demna-founded Swiss label Vetements has lost its years-long battle to trademark its brand name in the US. According to a report from The Fashion Law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) refusals for “VETEMENTS to be trademarked on May 21, stating that the term “vetements,” the French word for “clothing,” is generic when used for garments and retail services. Due to French being a commonly spoken and taught language in the U.S., and the word “vetements” is directly descriptive of the clothing goods at issue, the court affirmed the Board’s decision, according to the report. Regardless of the brand’s acquired significance, the USPTO will not accept any further evidence supporting the appeal. The brand, started by siblings Demna and Guram Gvasalia in 2014, attempted to secure a U.S. trademark registration for apparel and online retail services in 2020.

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