Italian fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri has been named artistic director of women's couture, ready-to-wear and accessory collections at Dior.

Chiuri, who's the fashion house's first female artistic director, previously worked at Valentino for 17 years. She commented 'It is a great honour to be joining the house of Dior. I measure the tremendous responsibility of being the first woman in charge of the creation in a house so deeply rooted in the pure expression of femininity. The endless wealth of its heritage continues to be a constant source of inspiration for fashion and I cannot wait to express my own vision'.