Architect Peter Marino, go-to designer for luxury retail, is behind Christian Dior’s new look. The fashion brand recently unveiled its New York flagship on East 57th Street, a store whose decor pays homage to Dior’s boutique on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, but with a New York twist. According to Marino, the re-imagined space “combines 18th century details blended with modern elements to achieve a feminine and glamorous aesthetic,” inspired by the timeless yet modern fashions at Dior.

The first floor devotes two rooms to Dior’s opulent bags and another to fine jewelry (plus a special room for VIP jewelry clients). The stair, featuring a custom wrought iron railing, leads past a wall of screens (playing videos by French filmmaker Yoram Mevorach Oyoram) to a second-floor room dedicated entirely to shoes, two ready-to-wear salons, and another private space for special clients.

Even if you’re not a VIP, the art alone is worth a trip to the East Side to see newly commissioned installations from artists Claude Lalanne, Philippe Hiquily, Timothy Horn, David Wiseman, Alisdair Cooke, Veronique Rivemale, and Philippe Bradshaw.

Alyssa Nordhauser

http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5077