I’m standing in Dior’s new boutique in Westfield Bondi in Sydney. I’m face-to-face with my dream little black dress. It’s perfect in all the ways only a LBD can be. It’s a flared knee-length silhouette with side pockets, and the dainty straps are adorned with a bow inspired by the House’s Miss Dior perfume bottle. The dress is classic, chic, and a piece that will stand the test of time, which is really no surprise given Christian Dior is the master of dressmaking. As the legendary couturier once said: “Everything I know, see or hear, every part of my life is transformed into dresses. They are my daydreams, but they have passed from dreamland into the world of everyday items to wear.”
Dior knows how to create more than dream dresses. Shoes, bags, jewels and more. Which is why stepping onto the chic Versailles parquet floor (echoing that of 30 Montaigne, the Parisian flagship boutique where Dior first opened his couture house opened in 1946), and into the new Dior boutique is such a memorable experience.
To be clear, it doesn’t actually feel like you’re in a boutique (this is Dior, after all). More like like you’ve wandered into a grand home, which is as luxurious as it is inviting. As you move from room to room, you’ll find a mix of cosy corners and open spaces decorated with furniture and homewares in tones of white, cream, beige and grey (the latter being Dior’s signature colour).
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s autumn-winter 2024-2025 Women’s ready-to-wear collection (inspired by the strength of “pluralistic femininity”) is on display. And there are walls of shoes and bags to admire, alongside Victoire de Castellane’s dazzling Rose des Vents creations.
Being Dior, no detail has been spared. The façade of the boutique features elegant curves, meant to evoke the movement of fabrics. And the changerooms are so artfully decorated you might never leave.
Another sprawling space in the boutique houses menswear, the Dior Winter 2024-2025 line created by Kim Jones. And just to remind you that you’re only minutes from one of the world’s most iconic beaches, you’ll find the Dior Beach Capsule instore as well. Summer with a Dior surfboard, wetsuit, and hammock? Yes please. That is, if you can manage to pull me away from the boutique.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
