Entering into the chapel known as the Christian Dior salon at the Paris Biennale is truly a religious experience if you are a fan. Created to evoke a petite salon in a well heeled French apartment, the collection of jewelry is displayed in a series of windows that you peer into like a secret escape into the world that is, Dior Fine jewelry.
The world of Dior has lately been honoring its heritage and pulling things from the archives to further inspire the house. This usually a great strategy if the editing is done well and an eye for the modern is taken into consideration. I viewed this collection 4 years ago and I was amazed by how beautifully they had taken the garden theme and roses of the Dior tradition and turned them Into exquisite fine jewelry pieces; each piece was shown inside a miniature room atop doll sized chairs. It was a delight! I wish I could say the same for this years collection. Thematically inspired by the ruffles and pleats of a Dior gown, the inspiration was designed to take these gowns apart and create settings that were evocative of each. I wish this idea had really worked; what I saw was a series of fussy and overwrought designs that were unrestrained and lacking chic good taste that Dior was so famous. I am not sure he would have approved of such a display. An organza ruffle when interpreted as a setting of white gold, platinum and diamonds has to be treated in a specific way; to take this idea so literally is to court disaster. What I saw was a series jewelry designs that only worked in a few instances. The remainder were a huge disappointment and bordered on a vulgar display that only King Midas would have appreciated. I was told that the entire collection had been pre-sold and was off to parts unknown. Oh well, perhaps that is best. I can only hope they do better in two years when they will present another collection again.
