A new London home for the House of Dior
The Soho maison, designed by superstar architect Peter Marino, showcases the best of the brand under one very stylish roof
From his New York-based practice, architect and interior designer Peter Marino has worked on residential and retail designs for some of the most venerable names in the world of fashion and art. Indeed, visit any recently opened, super-luxurious fashion or jewellery boutique in any major fashion city and chances are his vision is behind it.
For one of his latest projects in London, Marino has fused Parisian elegance with British tradition to create a stunning new home for Christian Dior, bringing an array of the house's creations together in one spectacular location.
Renowned for his sophisticated use of texture, scale and light, and having received countless accolades for his work – including France's Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres – few designers are more qualified to create a striking new home for one of the most iconic French fashion and jewellery houses.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The store, which opened in June at 160–162 New Bond Street, evokes the atmosphere of a traditional Parisian hotel particulier and is characterised by classic Dior tones of grey, pale turquoise and pink. Silk carpets and neo-Louis XVI-style furniture soften the stone interior, while the addition of a conservatory complements the grandeur of the original building.
On the first to fourth floors, visitors can browse women's ready-to-wear clothing and accessories, alongside jewellery, timepieces, Baby Dior and childrenswear. There are also three private salons for VIP clients, a dedicated shoe salon and a special perfume area. The lower level is devoted to Dior Homme and its new demi-mesure (made-to-measure) tailoring service.
Celebrating Monsieur Dior's taste for art, numerous striking works can be found throughout the boutique, including an animated mural by Oyoram, who has collaborated with the fashion house for the past ten years, and sculptures by Tony Cragg and Rado Kirov.
What's more, to coincide with the launch of the new boutique, Dior has unveiled an exclusive Dior Maison collection. Included in the range is a selection of teas inspired by the house's iconic fragrances; a collection of crystal glassware embellished with a gold couture stitch; and limited-edition creations produced by artists and designers who are friends of the house, including Lucie de la Falaise, India Mahdavi, Hubert le Gall and Peter Marino himself.
dior.com; 160–162 New Bond St, London W1S 2UE
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com