Christian Dior

The culture of fashion: Retail-edutainment rules at Dior’s renovated Avenue Montaigne flagship



Ballgowns on display at La Galerie Dior in Paris

Retail-edutainment is the latest portmanteau on my mind.

Dior is finally ready to reopen its Avenue Montaigne flagship after a two-year reno. This latest incarnation is a ‘universe of Dior’ which includes retail, restaurants and a gallery, plus a private shopping apartment that gives its guests the keys to the store – accompanied by concierges to attend to their every whim.

The Galerie de Dior is the masterstroke. (more…)



SS21 trend report: What will our ‘New Look’ look like?



Christian Siriano SS21

I feel rather disconnected from Fashion Month this season but this image caught my attention.

It’s last Thursday’s Christian Siriano SS21 show and the colours, plus olde worlde Slim Aaron’s-esque glamour (tempered with the now-normal sight of a Covid mask), place it firmly in the space of aspirational longing. Longing for parties, whimsy and unbridled joy instead of caution and pragmatism.

My overarching goal for following the SS21 shows is to understand what ‘fashion’ is going to look like for all of us for the next few years. (more…)



Fine jewellery reimagined: Dior Rose des Vents



dior jewellery Rose Des Vents sketches

Contemporary fine jewellery is undergoing something of a metamorphosis. Chanel’s Coco Crush line of 18 karat gold bangles and rings recently launched at Net-a-Porter (Chanel’s first foray into e-commerce), Delfina Delettrez has opened in Mount Street, while Repossi and Dauphin are currently the coolest jewellers in Place Vendôme. (more…)



Dior and I: watch the trailer



I’ve just watched a screening of the Dior and I movie, the documentary directed by Frédéric Tcheng which comes out on 27th March (in the UK). Following Raf Simons as he creates his first ever Dior collection in just eight weeks (a couture one, no less), it’s a tense and insightful look at Simons’ creative approach and process as he steps into the lead role at Paris’s most iconic fashion house.

It’s a very human and beautiful film. (more…)