Christian Dior on Saturday will unveil its newly renovated New York flagship and shoppers can expect a dramatically different experience inside the two-story 57th Street store. Designers channeled the brand’s iconic boutique on Avenue Montaigne in Paris during the complete makeover.
“When you get a brand like Dior, it is so French, and so great, I wanted to push it,” architect Peter Marino told Women’s Wear Daily. “We wanted to get away from the department store sensibility of many stores,” he added. “Luxury brands are more exclusive.”
Inspired by the residential feel of hotels in Paris, the store features elaborate wall and ceiling moldings, mirrored or perforated leather walls and details such as 18th century daybeds, velvet sofas and hand-finished curtains, according to WWD. Artists created custom pieces of furniture for the store, such as a coffee table by Guy de Rougemont, side chairs by Andre Dubreuil, a Claude Lalanne Ginkgo Leaf Bench and a cabinet by Hubert le Gall.
“The clothing is made by hand, so why not make the curtains by hand,” Marino said. “The customer feels it and appreciates it.”
The store includes a second-floor French garden scene as a backdrop to the ready-to-wear salon. The VIP salon features sculptures in the shape of giant pearl earrings and an aluminum on chains installation serves as the backdrop for the shoe salon.
A video installation wall positioned by the grand staircase streams videos, showing shoppers a glimpse into the city of Paris. Chief executive officer Sidney Toledano said the company decided to use the Paris flagship as inspiration to better represent the brand.
“In the past we’d say, ‘Let’s adapt the format to New York,’ but I think we have to be what we really are,” Toledano said. “This is what Peter is expressing in this new concept. When Americans come to our store on Avenue Montaigne, they are very impressed and they tell us, ‘This is what we want in New York. We don’t want another New York-style store.’ Americans are really good in retail, and we are not going to do a ‘me-too.’ It’s more about the idea that people are coming to the Dior store in New York because they want to see the atmosphere of Dior. That is true anywhere in the world.”