DIOR's Ephemeral Boutique in Courchevel

Frosted walls, stalactites of plants and blocks of ice: DIOR has recently opened a new ephemeral store in the French upscale ski resort of Courchevel within the Cheval Blanc luxury hotel owned and operated by Dior’s parent company LVMH Group.  The store in Courchevel is home of the house's women's collection from January 3rd until April 10th, 2014, in a dreamlike atmosphere shrouded in snow.

It's a winter garden hidden away in the heart of the Alps, a captivating cocoon of twinkling silver and gold. Subtly metallic, the wooden walls look like they've been shrouded with a precious frost; in the center of the store, just like a skillfully architectural block of ice, an installation of mirrors and silver wall panels reflects the accessory, timepiece and jewelry collections. Further on we find the resort 2014 collection, in a smoky mirror-lined setting, inspired by the decoration of Raf Simons' fashion shows for Dior. There, cascading from the ceiling like a paper snowfall, lush foliage sprouts white leaves. This poetic vegetation, which gives the boutique the feeling of a garden in winter, is the work of the artist collective Wanda, which already decorated the Dior Joaillerie store on Paris' Place Vendôme, and reinterpreted the Lady Dior bag in the Lady Dior As Seen By traveling exhibition.

In the windows too, their paper tendrils erupt in cascades, falling in immaculate stalactites among the colorful dresses, or winding among Victoire de Castellane's jewelry creations. In this setting of snowy and icy tones, dresses, shoes and jewels appear in dazzling shades. Three bags tricked out in bright hues serve to particularly draw the eye: created specially for the boutique by the Dior artisans, the one-offs revisit the iconic Lady Dior and Diorissimo  in an ultra precious crocodile incarnation. Three-color versions in bright pink, midnight blue and beige, or bicolor in red and sable, these exceptional pieces contrast with the store's white decor, paying homage to Monsieur Dior's love of color.

Selections by ANDREA JANKE Finest Accessories 

Photo Credit/Source: The House of DIOR

Cheval Blanc Courchevel
Le Jardin Alpin
73120 Courchevel 1850 - France
Fon +33 4 79 00 50 50
Fax +33 4 79 00 50 51

More DIOR To Love ...

'DIOR Cruise 2014 Presentation in Monaco'

“I wanted to do something with lace for a long time, but to twist it, create something more edgy, so it almost becomes futuristic,” said Simons at the show venue, a purpose-built minimalist structure perched over an unusually raging sea, the result of an unseasonable downpour.'

Tweet

Share

'Winter Garden' by DIOR Haute Joaillerie

Until November 16th, 2013, the stunning fine jewelry collections by Victoire de Castellane can be seen at Place Vendôme in a paper setting conceived by the Wanda artists.

Ivy twists around the stairwell of the Dior Joaillerie boutique on Paris' Place Vendôme. It wraps around the handrail, climbs the balustrades. Or falls in a cascade from the ceiling light like a living chandelier in a romantic grotto. Butterflies take refuge there. A little further on bees hide among the leaves, looking out on rhododendrons, wisteria, lily-of-the-valley, roses and daisies. This world, entirely in paper, can be found in the Dior boutique until November 16th, in tandem with the arrival of the haute joaillerie collection designed by Victoire de Castellane.

Here, the Wanda artist collective, already having been given carte blanche to reinterpret the Lady Dior  bag as part of the Lady Dior As Seen By  traveling exhibition, created Monsieur Dior's winter garden in which bloom the small, delicate flowers he liked to row on his Milly-la-Forêt property. Seen against these paper monochromes, the colorful jewels and precious stones twinkle with a million fiery flickers.

DIOR JOAILLERIE - PARIS - VENDÔME

Paper setting until November 16th, 2013
8, Place Vendôme
75001 Paris

During my visit in Paris last month for the Fashion Week, I had an amazing interview with Maison PIAGET Place Vendôme boutique which will be posted soon. Today, surfing through my archives, I found these pictures which I took the same day, when I felt immediately in love with these wonderful DIOR Haute Joaillerie windows, presenting their jewelry collection in such beautiful decorated Gobelin-weaved tapestries of 19th-Century inspired animal gardens! LoL, Andrea 

Selections by ANDREA JANKE Finest Accessories 

'Winter Garden': Courtesy of The House of DIOR

All other pictures: Courtesy of ANDREA JANKE

More DIOR To Love ... 

DIOR 'Golden Winter' 2013 MakeUp Collection'

'Versailles, on Christmas Eve. A jewel of aesthetic perfection, and showcase steeped in history, this most luxurious of castles defies time and trends. Its refined panelling and French-style gardens that so fascinated Christian Dior have now inspired a dazzling make-up collection by Tyen, Creator of Coulors for DIOR.'

Tweet

Share

My Dior by Victoire de Castellane

Tweet

My Dior, the new collection by Victoire de Castellane for Dior Jewelry, reinterprets one of the most emblematic house codes: the cannage

Dior's history of cannage marks the turn of Victoire de Castellane, at Dior Jewelry, to write a new chapter in the motif's stunning saga. Here, the woven cane becomes a precious object, transformed into gold as if by some magical poetic alchemy. The collection is called My Dior, to signify a Dior all ones own, the intimate relationship one shares with a personal jewel. The very name, My Dior, is an anglicism that draws parallels with the house's first perfume, Miss Dior.

On rings, bracelets and cuffs, the twisted wires and fine cords inject an extra dimension to simple shapes. Chasing effects add another element of finesse to the jewelry. This kind of work is usually only seen in fine jewelry. The lost wax casting technique guarantees an exceptional level of quality, as this age-old craftsmanship also imbues the pieces with a soul that only handwork can bring. As always, at Dior Jewelry, the savoir-faire belongs to some of the greatest ateliers in Paris. My Dior - a golden weave of delicate and refined work, for a collection leading a love affair with the limelight.

Victoire de Castellane, Dior’s Fine Jewellery designer, travelled to Beijing to present her work. For the occasion, the salons of Avenue Montaigne were reproduced in miniature and staged the most emblematic fine jewellery creations - A Miniature Décor For An Outsized Jewelry 
 

Interview with Victoire de Castellane during her trip to Beijing

What story does the staging of this exhibition tell?

"The Palace is a gorgeous place; it’s so historic and poetic. I did not want a place that was too formal. Reproducing the salons in miniature, as we do in our boutiques, immediately strikes a chord with clients because most of them are already familiar with the way we present things. When they see the façade and the little rooms, the ballroom, the fashion show and the My Dior salon, it’s like reliving a part of childhood. Women find it very touching."

How do they see your approach to volume and proportion in China?

"I was rather surprised to see clients with rather large jewelry here, too. Even though that’s not my only focus, and we also do smaller pieces. The women I’ve met wear both and mix them together freely. That was probably hard to imagine a decade ago, but things change quickly. Today it’s part of the landscape, like fashion. Women here have strong personalities, they dare. They wear designer brands, of course, but they wear them in their own style – they make it personal." 

And your way with color?

"The Chinese love color – they repaint monuments, and they use a lot of red. Here, women are naturally receptive to colored stones: you could say we speak the same language! They seem to appreciate my gradations of color on lacquered gold."

What do you find inspiring about China?

"What inspires me the most, in China, is nature. I really love the way they envision things symbolically. In a materialistic world, it’s very poetic to have discussions with people who are attached to certain stories and symbols. It corresponds well with the image of Dior fine jewelry."

What was most memorable about this first trip to Beijing?

"I’m going to have a lot of work when I get home, because we received a number of special orders! It’s such a pleasure to be among people who are enthusiastic, who appreciate gemstones and very feminine women, and who are moved by Dior Joaillerie." 

My Dior by Victoire de Castellane

Selections by ANDREA JANKE Finest Accessories

Photo Credit/Source: The House of Dior

Tweet

Share