Dior redesing

The fashion house founded by Christian Dior, in 1947 turned 60 this year. To continue the celebration after the Fall/Winter 2007-08 Haute Couture show, the flagship Christian Dior boutique on Avenue Montaigne has had a grand redesign, with a fresh new look created by Peter Marino. The American Architect was already familiar with the space as he modernized it previously for the label’s golden anniversary 10 years ago. The latest redesign of the store gives an ultra-contemporary new feel, lending desire for comfort and convivality. Marino called in various other top names to fill every space of the store with its own unique look. There are sculptures by Claude Lalanne, including the silvery metal bench enthroned under the 7 meter high rotunda, in addition furniture by Aldo Chale, Alasdair Owen Cooke, and Herve Van der Staeten (who also designed the bottle to the Christian Dior J’Adore fragrance) - with lighting by Rob Wynne and videos by oYoram. Naturally, the traditional house of Christian Dior is still there, the Louis XVI medallion chair, the caning and jungle prints are all there, but presented in the ‘New Look’ light. For the colours, Marino selected no fewer than 56 shades of grey, from deep charcoal to pale platinum. He also developed 36 variations of the famous medallion chair, giving the venerable house of Dior a prominent seat in the modern era. So now, not only does Dior have a new menswear designer (Kris Van Assche) - who has given menswear a classic new look, but also a new boutique for the ‘New Look’ of Christian Dior, Paris.