Christian Dior Couture has taken over a former Burberry store located on Via Montenapoleone, in Milan, to house its new House of Dior, WWD reports. The new space doubles the floor area of the previous unit, which had opened in 2001 and was renovated in 2012.
L'inauguration is set for Friday, after more than two years of work. The store occupies a neoclassical building dating from the late XVIIe century and spans three levels, behind a facade of seven windows with two main entrances on Via Montenapoleone and a third in the inner courtyard.
A layout by floor
The ground floor presents women's and men's bags and accessories, as well as men's ready-to-wear and shoes. The first floor brings together the women's collections designed by Jonathan Anderson, footwear, signature bags, including editions of the Lady Dior in precious leathers, and the high jewellery of Victoire de Castellane. The second floor houses private salons adorned with mouldings evoking Parisian apartments, as well as a beauty salon.
L'architecte Peter Marino designed the interiors. « C'est toujours un grand plaisir pour nous d'ouvrir une nouvelle House of Dior, car ce sont de très gros projets sur lesquels nous travaillons depuis longtemps, dans des lieux uniques », said Delphine Arnault, chairwoman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture. She added: « C'était extrêmement important d'avoir un magasin aussi sophistiqué dans une capitale de la mode aussi importante. »
Marino, whose collaboration with Delphine Arnault and LVMH goes back more than three decades, also worked with landscape designer Peter Wirtz to design terraces, inner courtyards and vertical gardens. Near the entrance, a portrait of Christian Dior by Michelangelo Pistoletto is expected, according to the architect, to generate « plus d'un million de selfies ».
An LVMH neighbourhood
Via Montenapoleone already houses the stores of Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Bulgari, brands of the LVMH group, also designed by Marino. The new location also houses the restaurant Monsieur Dior, entrusted to chef Enrico Bartolini, who holds 14 Michelin stars, and fitted with 12 tables, open for lunch, dinner and afternoon refreshments. « Je continue de ressentir beaucoup d'excitation », Bartolini said despite his experience.
Marino also claimed there was no equivalent on the avenue in terms of a VIP lounge, underlining the singularity of the setup designed for this address.
