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By: Andrea Sachs
Helmed by Emily Charlton, Dior’s newly renovated New York flagship raises the bar in the world of luxury fashion boutiques. After a years-long renovation, Charlton and the brand realized their shared vision with this home for inspiration, art and creativity. Following a transition from Runway to Dior, Charlton quickly rose through the ranks. The Madison Avenue store is just the latest feather in her cap.
The flagship is a short walk away from where Christian Dior opened the fashion house’s first New York store on Fifth Avenue in 1948. The new four-floor boutique houses both men’s and women’s departments as well as the very first Dior Maison boutique and the first Dior Spa in the United States. “Dior encompasses the whole being, extending from the dress they don to the glow of their cheeks to their space at home,” Charlton says.
The entrance’s 20 foot-high windows bring light into the space while also reminding shoppers of their centrality in the city. The flagship continues the theme of bringing the outdoors indoors through a garden in the front window dotted with flora and fauna brought to life by animatronics. Charlton emphasized the importance of the store’s central location: “New York City has been a second home for our brand. We wanted this store to exude the luxurious French spirit of Dior while also paying homage to this city and our long history here.”
The Colorama wall along the staircase, itself a tribute to the grand staircase at the original Dior atelier on Avenue Montaigne, creates a visual journey spanning 75 years of the House of Dior. Miniature bags, dresses, perfumes, hats and lipsticks line the stairs in the colors of the rainbow, which pop against the pale pink that fills much of the space.
The opening of the Dior boutique and the undisclosed amount (likely in the millions) that they spent on renovations is evidence of a larger trend in the fashion market. Luxury retail is the only sector of the fashion business still making money. It’s unattainable or unsustainable for most people, but it has continued to grow. As Charlton explains, “Your bag, scarf, umbrella and perfume tell the world who you are.”
