Capri, Forte dei Marmi, Saint-Tropez, Ibiza, Mykonos, Bodrum: Dioriviera creations punctuate those sunny ports of call like so many thrilling invitations to escape and dream. A round-the-world escapade, season after season – and a perpetually reinvented Dior odyssey. By Lucie Alexandre.
It all began in Provence, in the south of France. The landscapes, the scents, the song of the cicadas, the vast expanse of blue sea extending to the horizon, the warmth of the sun – for Christian Dior, everything was a sweet delight. It was in this peaceful oasis that the couturier found refuge: first in Callian, where he joined his family during the war, and later at the Château de la Colle Noire, where starting in 1951 he escaped the French capital’s hectic pace. Located near Grasse and Cannes, this majestic estate, which Dior considered his “real home”, is surrounded by gardens and ponds, landscaped by the designer himself, as well as age-old trees, rare species and flowers emanating subtle aromas. There, he gardened, pruned vines, pressed olive oil.
Dior’s southern escapades truly were moments suspended in time, far from the hustle and bustle of fashion’s beating heart at 30 Avenue Montaigne. From Cabris to Hyères and Saint-Raphaël, Monsieur Dior went to the Provençal countryside to recharge. He revelled in the lavender fields, the ever-changing cerulean hues of the Mediterranean and the unique aura of his chosen haven. In this joyous atmosphere, he visited his favourite addresses with friends and family. A hedonist through and through, he loved the cuisine at L’Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, which he declared “the best restaurant in France, in one of the most beautiful places in the world”, according to a note in the guest register dating from 1953. The establishment was run by chef Raymond Thuillier, a friend who penned the preface to the book La Cuisine cousu-main*(Tailor-Made Cuisine), which details the couturier’s preferred dishes. He also indulged in the pastries at the Sénéquier in Saint-Tropez, which he took on the terrace. He relished discovering restaurants here and there that honoured the epicurean and aesthetic spirit of the French Riviera.
*La Cuisine cousu-main, Christian Dior, Paris, 1972.
There, the designer relaxed and took time to grant his imagination free rein. “Avenue Montaigne is very far away; it’s at the other end of the world,” he wrote in his memoirs. It was during that return to simplicity, a newfound intimacy, that Dior sketched silhouettes for his upcoming shows. In an interview, his loyal collaborator, Raymonde Zehnacker, recalled those creative sessions: “Twice a year, the two of us would go away. He seemed to do nothing for three weeks. We’d come back with lots of sketches. We’d decide what was going to make the line.”Monte-Carlo, Cannes, Italie, Riviera and Azur – the founding couturier dedicated certain haute couture ensembles to the Mediterranean. On the Avenue Montaigne, the Boutique line presented fresh, playful pieces that carried the promise of sunny days: casual dresses with easy pockets, bathing suits, wide-brimmed hats, and shorts and rompers in florals or gingham. Once again, the names said it all: Antibes, Bain de Minuit, La Croisette, Méditerranée… An elegant summer wardrobe, which was the foundation of an irresistibly Dior art de vivre.
This ideal elsewhere also inspired the Dioriviera capsule by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Informed by the gentle lifestyle Monsieur Dior cherished, this seasonal selection evolves like an extension of an eternal, universal summer. Ibiza, Saint-Tropez, Sanya, Bali, Seoul, Monaco and Hôi An, to name just a few: cities and islands in Greece, Italy and beyond composed an idyllic itinerary and multiplied across the globe as charming pop-ups appeared with ever more spectacular scenographies. For Fall 2024, those stores were adorned with a revisited jungle, wherein the wild animals from the emblematic toile de Jouy came to life in the form of life-sized works of art dressed in shells.
This invitation to travel unfolds in a series of marvellous destinations whose names embellished creations like so many poetic signatures: looks in vibrant hues as well as prints illustrated the dream and identity of each one of these happy ports of stopovers. Like French-style dolce vita, Dioriviera became a collection in its own right and, moreover, an unprecedented global concept. Alongside ready-to-wear, exceptional objects by Dior Maison – from deckchairs to sports accessories – echo these enchanting codes, suggesting sublime moments of relaxation.
Francis Kurkdjian, who conceived the Dioriviera fragrance as part of La Collection Privée Christian Dior, was also guided by idleness and lightness, an awakening of senses and memory. An aura of vacation, infusing various events created by Parfums Christian Dior. This summer, a captivating cruise along the Seine will propose tailor-made skin treatments and wellness activities reflecting a new plurality of Dioriviera magic.
Celebrating the Dior Fall 2024 collection, this forty-sixth issue welcomes a fabulous moment on the island of Hydra, a Greek jewel sublimely edged by the Aegean, with Dioriviera pieces unveiled in magnetic snapshots.
