Magnificent
Jewels in 
Provence

“I would like that house to be my real home. [...] The place where I can come full circle and find, in a different climate, the enclosed garden that protected my childhood. The place where I can finally live tranquilly, leaving Christian Dior behind to simply become Christian again.” With these words, the founding couturier described his treasured retreat in Provence, informally known as “Château Dior” among locals: La Colle Noire, named for the surrounding hills (or colles), densely populated with cypress and oak trees in deep emerald hues.

With its unique aura, it overlooks the Fayence Plain and a string of hilltop villages including Montauroux, which dominates the landscape near the centifolia rose fields of Grasse, just a few kilometres inland from the French Riviera. A perfect setting to reveal Diorexquis, the new high jewellery collection by Victoire de Castellane. 

A precious tribute to nature unfolded in sumptuous tableaux of stones in intense hues, forming motifs that sometimes appeared to have been drawn with a child’s eye. Perhaps that of the young Christian observing his mother Madeleine as she tended her beloved rose garden in Granville, Normandy, the famous “enclosed garden that protected [his] childhood”? Monsieur Dior no doubt experienced a delightful nostalgia when, at the wheel of his Austin Princess, he passed through the large gate and into a driveway flanked by 14 cypress trees at La Colle Noire: his Provençal escape, a haven of peace where he would rest and recharge between shows.

The House of Dior could not have chosen a more exceptional setting* to welcome prestigious guests for the presentation of the magnificent jewels in Diorexquis, which showcased three of Dior’s elemental themes: enchanting landscapes, delicate bouquets and magical galas. A dazzling triptych recounting by turns the love that the master of the New Look cultivated for the splendours of the plant world and his fascination with the opulence of extravagant parties.

Blending bold interplays of volume and layers of gemstones – finely carved against hardstone backgrounds edged with diamonds – the collection unfolded like remarkable stories magnifying nature and its transformations. Some pieces evoked the passage of time, according to the rhythm of the seasons: the purity of winter, whose icy splendours blossom into fabulous compositions; the effervescence of spring, transposed into flourishing constellations of vegetation on certain parures; and the joy of sunny days, represented by the sparkle of shimmering stones on several dazzling sets.  A divine surprise, a necklace, a ring and elegant earrings bring to life, in irresistible scenes, the magic of gala balls, when dreams embrace reality.

To celebrate this fairy-tale high jewellery event, a cocktail reception was followed by a dinner orchestrated by Mauro Colagreco, the three-star chef from Mirazur in Menton – who also works in total harmony with nature – held in the gardens, under sage-green pergolas that blended into the flora: an ode to the art of living and entertaining Dior holds dear, as if Christian Dior himself had gathered his closest friends and family in his sublime country home. Supremely refined Dior Maison tableware inspired by the 18^th century was punctuated with subtle drawings of sprigs of lily-of-the-valley, one of Monsieur Dior’s favourite good-luck charms. Forget-me-nots, agapanthus, jasmine, lemon trees, rosemary, thyme and lavender imparted their fragrances and colours in a chorus of buttercup, white, mauve and violet, a pastoral symphony that further emphasized the infinite sweetness of life on gentle spring evenings.

Prolonging this bucolic alchemy, the South African soprano Pretty Yende performed Claude Debussy’s Beau Soir, an impressionistic prelude to the show. As night fell, 25 haute couture silhouettes specially designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri were presented alongside the enchanting reflections of an ornamental pool. The delicate nobility of the velvets – crafted with exquisite skill in forest green, plum, ochre and gold – echoed the intense colours of the jewels, while short corolla dresses and ravishing Millefleur embroidery complemented extraordinary floral compositions designed by Victoire de Castellane. A majestic display of fireworks brought the dreamlike choreography to a magnificent close, a moment suspended in time, an instant of pure grace. 

Poetic Excellence

The result of priceless expertise, the Diorexquis line embodies all the virtuosity of the Ateliers, particularly through the opal doublet technique, which consists of mounting a layer of opal on another material – such as onyx or mother-of-pearl – to enhance mesmerizing colours recalling the complex nuances of the sky or sea. A succession of expert, incredibly precise gestures bring Victoire de Castellane’s formidable creativity to life. The plique-à-jour process pushes the boundaries of excellence even further, creating bouquets of a thousand sparkling colours through the use of lacquer – a signature of Dior Joaillerie – worked in transparent layers, which then appear like miniature stained-glass windows pierced beautifully by the light.

La Colle Noire: A Refuge of the Marvellous

The couturier infused this bastide, built in 1860^* and purchased on 24 October 1950, with the spirit of a family home. Inspired by his memories and yielding to his architectural dreams, he recreated the paradise of his childhood, his Garden of Eden, on these grounds. He designed a reflecting pool, a larger version of the small pond at the villa Les Rhumbs in Granville, Normandy, created by his mother in the early 1920s. True to his passion for gardening, Christian Dior surrounded himself with trees, rare species and subtly scented flowers, including roses, wisteria and jasmine. Enriching his botanical knowledge, he pruned his vines, pressed olive oil and helped harvest the centifolia roses grown by his sister Catherine, who lived nearby in Callian. All those traditions continue faithfully at La Colle Noire today. The residence embodies that dolce vita: a wonderful, relaxed time when lunches were taken outdoors, between a walk in the mountains and a boat trip. Christian Dior savoured it with his friends until the last days of August 1957, perpetuating the art of entertaining that he loved so. Attesting to this are the words inscribed in the guest book at La Colle Noire, where the signatures of Mizza Bricard and Roger Vivier appear alongside a sketch in ink by Marc Chagall, who wrote: “For Dior, the great artist”.