It won’t exactly be Christmas without a building fully decked out in bright lights. Over in London, iconic department store Harrods happens to be one of many around the world that partake in the seasonal merriment, and in exuberantly extravagant fashion.
In celebration of Christmas this year, Dior has already begun taking over the entirety of Harrods’ façade as well as parts of its interior. Themed The Fabulous World of Dior, it starts with a complete decoration of the Harrods building, illuminated with lights showcasing an array of Dior emblems as interpreted by Roman artist Pietro Ruffo for the house’s cruise 2023 collection.
The Dior compass rose is at the heart of the light installation — a giant at 17 metres, at once making it Harrods’ largest structure to date — positioned right under the magnificent dome of the building. It then stretches towards the corners of Harrods connected by a smorgasbord of other Dior motifs.
As impressive as the installation undoubtedly is, what lies within (and under) it underscore the extent of Dior’s Christmas takeover.
Peer into tableaus of the Dior universe
All 44 windows that surround Harrods have been transformed into a scenography depicting individual theatres of wonder. Each window is trimmed with gingerbread-like decorations (a nod to an English-favoured Christmas treat) with mouldings and details sculpted in sugar and caramel. They’re then filled with the Dior cruise 2023 collection by artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Dior Maison collection inspired by it as well as the rest of Dior’s universe.
Make sure to look out for the iconic Christian Dior creations — the Tourbillon, Soirée d’Asie and Junon dresses — that have been recreated in confectionary and candy forms. There’s also a miniature version of the 30 Montaigne animated with some of Dior’s classic designs and silhouettes.
Enter two multi-experience pop-ups
Step into Harrods and discover two pop-ups conceptualised around Christian Dior’s life. The first reimagines his atelier as a gingerbread house where furnishings resemble a conveyor belt. They display the house’s icons the likes of the Book Tote, Lady Dior and more, as though they’re being readied for Santa Claus to transport them to their respective owners.
The second pop-up takes the form of a cabinet of curiosities. Featuring a selection of everything from ready-to-wear to shoes, the space encourages one to discover gifts for loved ones with its interactive displays. As a reference to Chiuri’s first collection for Dior, a series of T-shirts emblazoned with socially aware prints can be found here.
An exhibition within a impressive setting
Dior fans will be able to discover miniature replicas of some of Dior’s most famed architecture. They include the Granville, the Château de La Colle Noire, and of course, 30 Montaigne. Not only are they miniature versions, they’re also reproduced entirely out of finely crafted cookies that are punctuated beautifully by delicate arabesque and drawings that are nods to the kind of craftsmanship that goes behind every Dior creation.
Each setting tells a fantastical story spanning the different facets of the Dior universe — from the creation of the Bar jacket from a piece of candy to the Lady Dior being worked on by, quite literally, petite mains of the house.
To experience the exhibition, guests are required to pre-register online.
Take a rest at Le Café Dior at Harrods
Dior has inaugurated a café space that’s a tribute to British hospitality and art of entertaining that’s dear to Christian Dior. Le Café Dior is a tearoom adorned with gingerbread-style décor from the façade right down to the Dior creations envisioned as gingerbread cookies.
Every corner of the Le Café Dior remains true to the house’s design language — the Dior Medallion chaired as transformed by Philippe Starck are dressed in toile de Jouy, while the Dior cannage motif decorate the café’s tableware.
The menu is a selection of French classics given a British twist the likes of a Cornish crab with green apple and Atlantic lobster Thermidor with yuzu vinaigrette. They’ve all been conceptualised and created by Harrods’ chefs.
The The Fabulous World of Dior will take over Harrods until 3 January 2023.
