From the beginning, Christian Dior adored New York.
The French couturier visited Manhattan for the first time in 1947, shortly after debuting his seminal New Look collection, a celebration of the hourglass silhouette. “My two days in New York were spent in a continuous state of wonder,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Dior by Dior.” By 1948, the designer had opened a boutique on Fifth Avenue.
Fast forward 77 years and the maison has unveiled its renovated four-story flagship at the corner of 57th Street and Madison Avenue, just steps from the original address. The House of Dior New York showcases a glamorous array of luxury products, including women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories, fine jewelry and La Collection Privée Christian Dior fragrances, along with exclusive limited-edition items created especially for the location. The first Dior Spa in the US sits atop the store, while the first stand-alone Dior Maison boutique is next door.
Architect Peter Marino designed the sleek space, mixing contemporary finishes with traditional touches like Versailles parquet flooring and plenty of flora and fauna. The whimsical window displays feature flowers, birds, butterflies, and other plants and animals — made of fabric scraps from Dior ateliers and brought to life through animatronic technology.
Equally vibrant is the Insta-worthy Diorama lining the walls of the spiral staircase. Some 500 miniature dresses, shoes, bags, perfumes and hats — arranged in a color gradient — trace Dior’s history and mirror a famous installation in La Galerie Dior in Paris.
The store’s museum-level art includes works by Jennifer Steinkamp, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Nir Hod and Tony Scherman; photographs by Charles Jones and Robert Mapplethorpe; and furniture by Michele Oka Doner and Roland Mellan.
To celebrate its reopening after a five-year renovation, the boutique is introducing a number of exclusive offerings. Lady Dior — the bag carried by and named after Princess Diana — is embellished with rose-gold charms and a surrealist floral sculpture by Anna Weyant.
Other highlights? A pink satin Lady D-Joy handbag embroidered with beads and pearls, Tribales heeled sandals and J’Adior slingbacks stamped “New York House of Dior.”
There’s a special Bar Jacket — the timeless New Look blazer with a nipped waist — in unique fabrics and colors. Hot off the press are a scarf, Book Tote, Lady Dior handbag and other pieces in the label’s iconic New York newspaper print.
As for bijoux, designer Victoire de Castellane’s Bois de Rose fine jewelry line has been reimagined with luminous pink and blue sapphires. An exclusive version of the Chiffre Rouge timepiece, meanwhile, is adorned with a rose-gold bezel and bumper.
Shoppers can stock up on scents in the fragrance area or head upstairs to the spa’s boutique to peruse scent, makeup and skin-care essentials, such as Dior Prestige and L’Or de Vie, plus exceptional pieces including the Amphora and Rouge Premier. The spa’s four state-of-the-art treatment rooms feature pampering amenities like infrared or re-energizing mattresses, weighted anti-stress blankets and cryo-effect sleep masks; clients can also book makeup sessions in the beauty room. Three facials and four body treatments are on the menu, along with add-ons like foot relief.
Most exclusive of all is the Haute Couture treatment, co-created with master aesthetician Sarah Akram, who will be in residency at the spa for multiple days each month. The 90-minute bespoke facial starts with Dior Measurements, a comprehensive analysis using a Cortex machine of the skin’s collagen, hydration, pH levels, elasticity and sebum levels, which the therapist then uses to personalize services. Employing targeted massage and modalities that can include cold-laser, ultrasound, micro-current, micro-dermabrasion, ultrasonic exfoliation, LED lights, cryotherapy and oxygen infusion, it’s designed to visibly transform and lift the complexion.
The anti-cellulite New Look treatment is a standout, as are the Recharge, Recover and Rest add-ons developed with sleep specialist Dr. François Duforez. The Happiness option uses light therapy to enhance mood and well-being.
To borrow a few words from Monsieur Dior, it just might induce a continuous state of wonder.