Dior store by Peter Marino

Dior has had a flagship store on the corner of Madison Avenue and 57th Street, one of New York City‘s most prestigious locations, for as long as we can remember. Mind you, the Big Apple has been one of the few places on the planet designer Christian Dior was truly enamoured with, justifying this high-profile retail presence, and obviously, we couldn’t agree more. So, following quite a few years of renovation, Dior‘s flagship store, now dubbed aptly House of Dior, has reopened. The Paris-based fashion house once again tapped local architect and longtime collaborator Peter Marino to design the premises, and needless to say, every nook and cranny oozes prestige to the max. The store’s presence is marked by a distinctive façade of white stone which covers all four floors with double-height glass windows near the main entrance, featuring an alluring installation crafted from upcycled materials and showing a fantastical forest of creatures, including birds, butterflies, and a squirrel, and sitting alongside a garden by Belgian landscape architect Peter Wirtz.

Both the window installation and garden are a firm nod to Dior‘s rich botanical heritage. The ground floor actually has two entrances—the main entrance allows shoppers to immediately access to an abundance of Dior‘s coveted handbags and other women’s leather goods, accessories, jewellery pieces and fragrances, while the other entrance immediately leads to men’s apparel, leather goods and shoes, all presented in a setting marked by champagne wood walls, oak flooring and navy furniture. The elegant women’s section sees off-white walls with recessed display areas and matching furnishings, paired with Versailles parquet flooring. In the middle of the two spaces, a staircase can be found, embedded in a colour-infused installation presenting bags, cosmetics and perfumes. One floor up, more of the women’s collection is presented, notably apparel and shoes.

Homey yet sophisticated, thanks to furniture by designers Michele Oka Doner and Rollan Mellan, in addition to curated artworks by various leading artists, including Robert Mapplethorpe and Tony Scherman, this may officially be the women’s domain, but it also houses men’s bespoke and customisation services. The third floor of the Dior flagship store is home to the jewellery collection and private ewellery room, and the top range of Dior handbags. Additionally, the more discerning shopper can find two V.I.P. salons here where to purchase one’s trophies in a more discreet manner. Last but not least, the fourth floor accommodates the very first Dior Spa stateside. The luxurious spa offers exclusive spa treatments with state-of-the-art technology. And that’s still not all. Adjacent to the flagship store sits Dior‘s first standalone Dior Maison boutique, stocking exquisite home products, such as vases, trays, and candlesticks. © superfuture