Maria Grazia Chiuri: 'Fashion shows are all shows, but in the theatre I will be freer'

Of the extraordinary Song of myself, published by Walt Whitman in 1855, almost always only two, maximum four verses are quoted. This is really a pity, because the 52 stanzas are magical, something akin to a hymn - pardon my inordinate passion for the American poet - to every form of life and spirit. Let it be said without detracting from the famous verses "I am large, I contain multitudes", themselves magical and to which one thinks, once again, when meeting Maria Grazia Chiuri, known to most as the creative director of the women's collection of Christian Dior, one of the French maisons with the most history and prestige (as well as revenues and profits).

Yet there is much more to Maria Grazia Chiuri's life - or rather heart and mind - than fashion. There is, for example, the very strong link with Rome, where she worked during the years when she shared with Pierpaolo Piccioli the creative direction of Valentino and where next Tuesday, 27 May, at Villa Albani Torlonia, the designer will present the Dior Cruise collection. Whatever the short and medium term future holds for Maria Grazia Chiuri, a 'new multitude' is already there, because in 2022 Maria Grazia Chiuri bought the Teatro della Cometa in Rome and after three years of restoration last Tuesday presented it to the public.

The fascination for theatre must have come from afar if it drove you to such a challenging project...
"Foreword: every fashion show is in itself a theatrical performance. Because of its physical unrepeatability, like a play, which, sure, can be repeated for many evenings, but never identical. Each fashion show is a miniature theatrical performance, we might say, wanting to be maximally respectful of the actual theatre, but with dozens of professionals involved, working together and for the audience at the same time. There are also undeniable differences between fashion and theatre, and for many years I dedicated myself full-time to the former. Now, with my children at my side and the extraordinary emotional support of my husband, I am adding this exciting project of the Teatro della Cometa, where, in just ten years of activity (it closed in 1968 after a fire, ndr), performances by Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco as well as concerts by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli and Milly were staged'.

Will she become an actress or perhaps a director, as well as a designer?
"Let it never be (she smiles). We begin, in these very first days of 'rebirth', by telling the story of the theatre, with an exhibition designed as an immersive experience between performance, art, memory and vision. It is an invitation to explore the renewed identity of the theatre, with guided tours in small groups, accompanying people through the various rooms, from the foyer to the stage and the galleries. Along the way, people are told about the extraordinary life of Anna Laetitia Pecci Blunt, known as Mimì, the theatre's founder, with performative moments in the form of tableaux vivants, including sounds, gestures and acting, all curated by Lorenzo Salveti. From 29 May to 25 July, on the other hand, it will be possible to visit a real exhibition dedicated precisely to Mimì, with many archive materials found in her Villa Reale in Marlia.

And September, when all the theatre seasons begin, what does it have in store for us?
"With my daughter Rachele we are imagining, perhaps dreaming (she laughs), a list of people from the Italian and international world of culture that we would like to bring to Rome. But we are also thinking of a format different from the classic theatre programme, something more like a festival'.