NUTCRACKER SUITE: Dior has landed at Harrods with a Christmas pop-up showcasing Jonathan Anderson’s debut cruise collection for the brand, high-end gifts and a series of themed windows featuring the house’s symbols and festive motifs, including twinkling lights, stars and shamrocks.
The pop-up runs from Friday until Dec. 27, and the design was partially inspired by the new, animated short film “Christian Dior’s Night in Color” by the French director Sylvain Chomet.
Inside the ground floor space there are also life-size nutcrackers and harlequins, while the moldings, Versailles parquet flooring and seating upholstered in moiré fabric have been drawn from the interiors of Dior’s historic address at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
As reported, the French fashion house tapped the Oscar-nominated Chomet to direct a short film inspired by founder Christian Dior’s friendship with Marlene Dietrich. The whimsical story is narrated by longtime brand ambassador Robert Pattinson and was unveiled in early November across Dior’s online platforms.
Inside Dior’s new holiday pop-up at Harrods.
The film features the voices of Rihanna as The Lucky Star, a house emblem; Louis Garrel as Dior, and Camille Cottin as Dietrich. Rounding out the cast are Josh O’Connor, LaKeith Stanfield, Greta Lee, Nine d’Urso and Nadia Tereszkiewicz.
The pop-up at Harrods reflects the mood of the film and showcases the cruise collection, including new accessories, such as the Dior Bow bag in newspaper print. The Mlle Dior pump, available exclusively at the pop-up, is presented alongside the Dior Bow, the Dior Sunset and the Dior Viola shoes.
The facade of 30 Montaigne and Bobby, Monsieur Dior’s dog, appear on knitwear and leather goods while bag charms come in the shape of gingerbread men and nutcrackers.
Candles are decorated with delicate ladybirds, while Christmas tree baubles come with illustrations by Chomet. There is also a personalization element, with customers able to have a festive ornament engraved or a greeting card written in calligraphy.
Dior has a long history with Harrods, which began in 1953 when founder Christian Dior inaugurated a corner shop at the Knightsbridge store. A few months later, he chose the store as the venue for his spring 1954 collection.
The Dior pop-up at Harrods.
Dior attended that show in person in a designated “Dior room” at Harrods. He adored British culture and went on to give future styles names including Dickens, Londres, Chelsea, Mayfair, Piccadilly and Cambridge.
Since then the brand has staged myriad events at Harrods, including a 2022 Christmas takeover called “The Fabulous World of Dior.” It was an immersive experience that traced the life of the founder and the evolution of the couture house. It featured animated tableaux made from large and small gingerbread cookies, piped icing and colored candy.