Rediscover an icon of French haute couture – the legendary hôtel particulier where Dior’s collections were brought to life for the past 75 years.
“It had to be 30 Avenue Montaigne. I am determined to set myself up here and nowhere else!” declared Monsieur Christian Dior. It was love at first sight for him when he came upon 30 Avenue Montaigne with its modest proportions and neoclassical facade in 1946. When the house of Christian Dior first opened there, it had three Ateliers where a tiny studio, a salon to showcase the dresses, a dressing room for the models, along with an office and six fitting rooms were found. It was also within these walls that the iconic New Look – a revolutionary silhouette in the history of fashion – came to light in Dior’s well-received debut fashion show on 12 February 1947. The address has since become synonymous with all that represents Parisian elegance and French haute couture.
Couturiers embody one of the last refuges of the marvellous. They are, in a way, masters of dreams…
Christian Dior
This March, the iconic 30 Montaigne spanning 10,000 square metres reopens after a two-year renovation. Be sure to visit La Galerie Dior, a unique exhibition space that bears witness to the visionary audacity of Christian Dior, couturier and parfumier, and his six successors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Rediscover the House’s creativity by experiencing the savoir-faire of haute couture and fine jewellery, along with the art of living and giving, gastronomy, beauty and culture through artistic dialogues and architectural virtuosity.
Fabric is the sole vehicle of our dreams. Fashion, in sum, comes from a dream, and dreams are an escape.
Christian Dior
Opening the doors to the many worlds of Dior, thirteen themes walk you through a fascinating narrative of scenography, designed by Nathalie Crinière, that captures the memory of this historic address; from Christian Dior’s life to his passion for gardens, from his artistic affinities to the magic of grand balls, from virtuoso ateliers to a “Room of Wonders” conceived as a cabinet of curiosities, from the distinctly Dior style of silhouettes to the exquisite bottles of Miss Dior and J’Adore fragrances, La Galerie Dior recounts and symbolises the Parisian epic of haute couture, beauty and perfume.
Stepping into the iconic building, you are at once invited to experience a new journey as you are welcomed by the “Diorama” – a presentation of the essence of Dior’s style via more than a thousand creation from present day and dating back to 1947. Along the journey, discover the richness of Dior’s past and present, a priceless source of inspiration for the Creative Directors who have left their mark in the House’s history of excellence, and as Monsieur Dior put it, “women’s secret aspirations”.
Go deeper into this “kingdom of dreams” and be dazzled by an exclusive collection of jewellery and timepieces. Victoire de Castellane specially designed four unique pieces of fine jewellery and two exceptional Dior Rose watches, celebrating the queen of flowers, along with an exclusive new creation in white gold and diamonds for the Rose des vents line. Another surprise that awaits is a preview of the new white gold and diamond ensembles Bar en Corolle and Milieu du Siècle, from the Archi Dior collection.
If you are planning to drop by the next time you are in Paris, make an online reservation to secure a visit on galeriedior.com.
Images courtesy of Dior, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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Dior: The New Look that Never Gets Old
