Inside Pietro Ruffo’s Rome Studio: Dior Collaborations and Cartographic Mythologies

Surrounding the Dior Cruise 2026 show trip in Rome, Whitewall was invited inside the studio of Roman artist Pietro Ruffo. Known for his intricate map-based drawings and symbolic language rooted in philosophy, astronomy, and history, Ruffo has become a central creative voice in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s vision for Dior.

A Creative Laboratory Beneath Roman Skies

The studio occupies a former industrial site that has hosted artists since 1972. First home to American photographer Francesca Goodman, it now houses over 20 creatives working across disciplines, from architecture to cinema. Ruffo’s space is both workshop and observatory. Tables are covered in celestial maps, topographical renderings, and historical engravings. “Maps aren’t just geographic,” Ruffo explains. “They’re emotional, mythological, layered with time.”

“Maps aren’t just geographic, they’re emotional, mythological, layered with time,”

Pietro Ruffo

One drawing of Rome overlays ancient volcanic terrain, submerged forest, and fossil paths beneath the modern city. Nearby, a celestial globe marks the twelve zodiac constellations, part of Ruffo’s ongoing fascination with the night sky as a storytelling tool.

Dior and the Language of Symbols

Ruffo’s collaboration with Maria Grazia Chiuri began during her time at Valentino and deepened when she became Artistic Director of Dior. In 2017, he created the scenography for the Dior show at Hôtel des Invalides, and since then, has contributed to over 70 percent of collections that include hand-drawn elements. “We share a love for slowness, for taking time to understand a place, a history, a material,” Ruffo tells Whitewall.

“We share a love for slowness, for taking time to understand a place, a history, a material,”

Pietro Ruffo

He draws everything by hand, often in blue ink, then layers in watercolor and texture. From butterfly motifs in Mexico to grottesche illustrations for Rome, Ruffo’s artworks become the foundation for textile prints, boutique design, and even Dior advertising.

Explore Whitewall’s coverage of Dior’s Cruise 2026 show in Rome

The Cruise 2026 Collection: A Roman Ritual

For Dior Cruise 2026, held in the rain-drenched gardens of Villa Albani Torlonia, Ruffo’s inspirations were everywhere. Star maps, Renaissance floral arrangements, and symbolic drawings of constellations informed many of the season’s textiles. The show opened with twelve actors in historical costumes, curated by Chiuri from the famed Tirelli Atelier, known for outfitting Italian cinema icons like Visconti and Fellini. Then came 80 looks, including 31 haute couture pieces — a first in Dior Cruise history.

A Shared Legacy of Craft

Chiuri and Ruffo also share a personal investment in Rome’s cultural memory. She recently reopened the Teatro della Cometa, a historical performance space restored with her daughter. Ruffo notes this as a testament to Chiuri’s philosophy: connecting beauty, legacy, and labor. “The Cruise show wasn’t just fashion,” he says. “It was architecture, memory, myth. It was Rome.”

“The Cruise show wasn’t just fashion, it was architecture, memory, myth. It was Rome,”

Pietro Ruffo

In many ways, Ruffo’s work is an atlas of the unspoken — charting emotional terrain, sacred geometry, and the political poetics of place.

Time as Material

What defines Ruffo’s practice isn’t just detail, but dedication to process. “The time you spend drawing is visible in the final work,” he says. “There’s no shortcut.” He gestures to a desk covered in sketches destined for future Dior collections. “The collaboration is not about fashion,” he adds. “It’s about telling a story. And you can’t tell a good story without patience.”

A Studio Like No Other

As our visit concludes, the space feels less like a design studio and more like a portal — into history, mythology, and the intimate architecture of time. Pietro Ruffo is not just drawing maps. He’s drawing meaning.