Among the big events during Paris Fashion Week last month was the relaunch of the flagship Dior Boutique on the Ave. Montaigne, off the Champs-Élysées. Shuttered for over two years— which is a lifetime in the rapid, always-changing fashion world—the CEO of Dior Couture, Pietro Beccari, took a big chance to envision the entire world of Dior under one roof.
The massive, 108,000-square-foot space—the largest Dior boutique in the world—now encompasses the full range of Dior products, including women’s and men’s fashion lines, jewelry, handbags and leather goods, luggage, shoes, fine china, crystal and glassware, cosmetics, perfume, and an haute couture salon. The store also added a formal restaurant, Monsieur Dior, and a pastry bar, both under the direction of French chef Jean Imbert. They are housed in an airy atrium, enveloped by tall, tropical trees and flowerbeds. Other special services in the store include a mini-spa for beauty treatments and facials and the extravagant La Suite Dior, a private apartment which can be rented out with staff of six to eight people on call 24 hours a day, catering to every whim from having a private chef to a personal shopper.
We had a chance to visit the store just after it reopened and unexpectedly encountered a line to get in. The wait wasn’t very long and once inside, we marveled at the fabulous design, including the sweeping grand staircase lined with mannequins bathed in white light, the dazzling presentation of the merchandise, and the sumptuously decorated rooms and salons, including some art installations, designed by New York-based architect Peter Marino. Another discovery was an outdoor garden atrium, a calming oasis from the over-stimulation and razzle-dazzle of the store with soaring glass panels, cushy lounges and sofas, and plants and trees.
To further expand the Dior universe and experience, a newly dedicated museum, La Galerie de Dior, has opened next door, building upon the blockbuster “Christian Dior, Couturier Du Rêve” exhibition in Paris in 2017 and later at the Brooklyn Museum. The company tapped interior architect Nathalie Crinière, who designed the “Couturier Du Rêve” show, to create the 21,000-square-foot gallery, covering three stories. They also brought in Olivier Flaviano, the former director of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, to curate. There are 13 themed galleries throughout the museum that showcase the evolution of Dior in chronological order from the first collection designed by Christian Dior in 1947 and the six successive designers over the next 70 years: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri, the current designer. The galleries display 130 mannequins wearing the haute couture outfits, films and newsreels, artifacts, sketches and drawings, photos, and vitrines with Dior perfume bottles, shoes, and other accessories. The Dior Café is located on the second floor.
We visited the museum at the same time as the store and were impressed with the story and history of the brand, its impact on fashion, and most of all, the three-story display of 452 miniature dresses and over 1,400 3D printed objects while descending the spiral staircase.
The Dior Boutique, located at 30 Ave. Montaigne, 75008, is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Visit www.dior.com.
La Galerie de Dior, at 11 Rue François 1er, 75008, is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Note: Tickets can only be purchased online and reservations strongly advised at least a few days in advance. Visit www.galeriedior.com.
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