Christian Dior has opened a flagship in Cannes. The new boutique at 7 Boulevard de la Croisette overlooks Palais de Festival across the street, where celebrities and filmmakers grace the red carpet (this week until the 22nd May) for the 69th Film Festival. Dior has had a presence at Cannes since 1956 when actress Michele Morgan wore the brand’s gown, a first for the house.
The new boutique was designed by architect Peter Marino and reflects the spirit of Dior. The menswear area is a new addition to the Cannes boutique. The previous boutique in Cannes didn’t have room for menswear.
In a statement given to WWD, Dior CEO Sidney Toledano said: “Dior Homme has seen a strong development in all markets. In our old boutique, which I remember opening more than 20 years ago, there was simply no room for it. But the times have changed.
“Husband and wife often come to shop together, and we cannot ask one or the other to run 50 meters down the road to another venue. We would lose them and besides, it’s not convenient, though stylistically we do keep the collections apart. Some brands choose to merge the men’s and women’s collections. At Dior, the man is very manly and the woman remains feminine,” he concluded.
Dior’s Cannes flagship carries the brand’s full range of women’s and men’s leather goods, timepieces, jewellery, ready-to-wear and footwear collections. It is spread over three-floors. Among the artworks to be found accompanying the collections will be armchairs by Russell Woodard, lamps designed by Wouter Hoste and an animated mural by Oyoram.
The boutique’s grey and white colour scheme and neo-Louis XVI medallion-back chairs transpose the hushed and intimate atmosphere of the historic address of 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
