Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi in Dior for 2021 Critics Choice Awards / Credit: Supplied/Dior

Following Yara Shahidi’s stunning appearance in Dior Haute Couture at the Critics Choice Awards earlier this year, the French fashion house has now named the 21-year-old actress as its global ambassador. Shahidi will showcase the work of image director of make-up Peter Philips and creative director of women’s fashion, Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The Grown-ish star announced the news on Instagram at the weekend.

“Can you spot the NEWEST @dior GLOBAL ambassador for BOTH beauty AND fashion 👀 #letsgetit,” Shahidi wrote.

Not only is Shahidi an award-nominated actress, she is currently studying a degree in Social Studies and African-American studies at the prestigious Harvard University in Boston, and partnered with Dior for International Women’s Day to appear in the brand’s initiative, Dior Stands With Women. She spoke on her journey in activism.

“What we know to be true is that so many young women aren’t given the space to be heard consistently, to feel as though people are genuinely taking the time to understand what they’re saying,” Shahidi said in a video instalment “And so when I go in to fight for what I believe is right, or what I believe is crucial to a certain project, I think there are many times that women — and it’s only exacerbated if you are a woman of colour — tow the line between being viewed as assertive and driven or aggressive. And it is important and requires constant conversation even for me to know that my being assertive, my being driven and my being committed is not something to ever be ashamed of.”

Shahidi joins a lauded lineup of ambassadors for the house including Natalie Portman and Cara Delevingne. Dior will show its Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2021/22 collection today at 2.30pm Paris time (and 10.30pm Australian time). You can tune in to the show below.