From France to Tokyo to Seoul, Dior's voyage through Asia continues to grow. Seoul, South Korea is the couture house's latest destination. On the 20th June, Dior opened it's doors to their very first freestanding boutique in Seoul's Chungdam Dong district. And the reason I chose to blog about this is because this wasn't just any boutique opening. This was fashion, art, architecture and haute patisserie all in one magnificent building and is something to be talked about. Designed by architect Christian De Portzamparc, the six - storey building (also the largest store in Asia) is truly unique. The entire journey, from research to construction took four years and was far from easy. The curvy part of the building was inspired by the movement of fabric. "This white softness is like the couturier’s toile when he’s at work. It has a sense of movement that plays with light. This sculptural suppleness was my starting point" explains De Portzamparc in an interview for Dior Mag. What I found extremely interesting was the Dior Homme structure which was rectangular and boxy featuring the house's signature cannage pattern on the outside. I loved the whole curvy and geometric contrast.
The interior of the boutique is equally stunning and was designed by Peter Marino. Upon entering, visitors are greeted with a suspended glass and aluminium sculpture by Korean artist Lee Bul. Various materials like leather, lacquer and woods come together to create an exquisite shopping space. The boutique also houses an art gallery showcasing the works of contemporary artists.
Finally, the cherry on top is the Pierre Herme café on the top floor. I'm a huge fan of his macarons and really love the way he experiments with the wildest flavours churning hits after hits. For Dior by Pierre Herme, the patissier created a special menu comprising of ice creams, drinks and some surprise items. Everything served in this chic café is created out of the highest quality ingredients with utmost attention to detail and creativity. I'm already salivating.
I don't think there could have been a better way to acknowledge the booming luxury market in South Korea than by launching this artistic new boutique and the Esprit Dior exhibition that followed two days later. J'adore.
