FOLLOWING a two-and-a-half year reconstruction, the crown jewel of Avenue Montaigne has reopened its doors, welcoming back clients and fashion-lovers alike into a wonderland of couture, cuisine and history which details the groundbreaking timeline of Dior.
The hôtel particulier which debuted as Colifichets (ornaments, trinkets) under the direction of Christian Dior in 1947 has been an emblem of French couture in Paris’ eighth arrondissement for over seven decades. Now, more than ever, the transformed flagship presents a reinvigorated retail experience with its thoughtful design created by American architect Peter Marino.
Marino, a favourite of Chanel, Fendi and Louis Vuitton, intended the Maison to be a “kind of theatre or set design in which many different plays could unfold”, which upon reflection seems like a perfect summary for the eclectic universe.
La Pâtisserie Dior, Photograph: Kristen Pelou
On arrival, customers are emerged into the latest ready-to-wear designs, tailoring departments and haute couture salons, stocking items from the house’s womenswear and menswear collections.
A careful curation of art, like that imagined by Joel Andrianomearisoa and Alberto Bertoldi adorns the walls of the flagship and accompanies the clothing presented, adding a further element of creative culture and luxury, of which the house is indebted to.
One of the store’s most notable additions is the new permanent exhibition, La Galerie Dior, showcasing the work of Monsieur Dior and his six successors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and most recently Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Available to book via the Dior website, the exhibition offers a thoughtful epitomisation of the house’s history and development, including the shamelessly instagrammable wall of miniatures which boasts 1874 pocket-size couture creations.
Adding to the multi-sensory experience that is the reinvented 30 Avenue Montaigne, visitors can now enjoy fine cuisine at Le Restaurant Monsieur Dior and La Pâtisserie Dior, both driven by playful chef Jean Imbert.
The latter overlooks an interior rose garden – one of three in house natural spaces – creating a decadent setting for a post-spree gâteau and café au lait. The final inclusion of the restaurants, both with carefully curated menus and and a wine list representative of some of the houses most significant dates, rounds of an incomparable shopping experience which perfectly encapsulates the very foundation of one of the worlds most renowned fashion houses.
“I was going to settle here and nowhere else!” – Christian Dior
by Ben Sanderson