1947 marked the first appearance of a Sapphire dress that was to recur in a number of Monsieur Dior’s collections. With the birth of ‘The New Look’ , blue was already part of the house’s palette a “Bleu de Paris”, a shade of blue that since then runs the veins of Dior House.

Elisabeth, Haute Couture Automne Hiver 1954/55, photo Laziz Hamani.

Dame Bleue, Haute Couture Automne Hiver 1948/49, photo Willy Maywald, ADAGP 2010

Perichole, Haute Couture Printemps Ete 1953, photo Laziz Hamani.

Bleuette, Croquis de Christian Dior, Haute Couture Printemps Eté 1947.

Haute Couture Printemps Ete 2009 Christian Dior par John Galliano.

Haute Couture Printemps Ete 2009 Christian Dior par John Galliano.

While all eyes are on Shanghai for the universal exhibition, Dior has chosen to honour its strong links with China by reopening its boutique at Plaza 66. In this prestigious mall in the heart of Puxi, the 420 square meter space has been designed by Peter Marino, architect of Dior’s boutiques.

The transparent glass façade covered in a white silk screen evokes the “cannage” motif using a technique originally imagined by Kumiko Inui for the boutique in Nagoya, Japan. Inside, a wide staircase in Burgundy stone with a wrought-iron balustrade echoes the famous Dior staircase at 30 Avenue Montaigne. A video installation by Oyoram on some 96 screens accompanies the ascension towards the second floor.

DIOR makes its runway debut in Shanghai with a Cruise Collection that captures the true spirit of the Dior contemporary La Parisienne. Inspired by the cult French cinema movement Nouvelle Vague this collection captures the new generation – their optimism mixing bold colours, graphic shapes and stripes with fabric innovation. A small selection just to get an idea:

In Shanghai, Marion Cotillard becomes Lady Blue.

One lady. Four cities.

in a cinematic campaign based on four short stories, featuring the iconic Lady Dior handbag.

Part 1

Part 2

if you detest youtube, watch the full video here

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