This month Dior unveiled an exceptional, new publication titled, Dior Metamorphosis, illustrating the momentous restoration and redesign of the maison’s beloved residence at 30 Montaigne in Paris. Through the immersive, poetic photography of Robert Polidori, readers will embark on an intimate journey through the evolution of its premier salons and ateliers—the divine site of Christian Dior’s first settlement.
Photo by Robert Polidori, courtesy of Dior.
“It had to be 30 Avenue Montaigne,” Dior famously stated. “I was going to settle here and nowhere else!” On December 15, 1946, the visionary did just that, transforming the humble, neoclassical structure into a twinkling universe of imagination, design, and fashion shows. Decades of star-studded clients from Jean Cocteau to Marlene Dietrich graced the grand escalier for a chance to be draped in the epitome of Parisian glamor.
Polidari serves as a considerate, artistic witness to the meaningful restoration, offering exclusive imagery and insight into the “refuge of the marvelous.” Rugged visuals of snaking cables, mounds of wreckage, and daunting soot take us on a mesmerizing journey through public and private spaces, shedding light on the immense patience, time, and effort required to bring the legendary address back to brilliant life. Elegant symbols of the house such as the Bar jacket are staged serenely amidst the ruins, paying homage to the heart, soul, and genius of the couturier himself, in addition to serving as a beacon guiding the eternal evolution and splendor of Dior.
Photo by Robert Polidori, courtesy of Dior.
Photo by Robert Polidori, courtesy of Dior.
Photo by Robert Polidori, courtesy of Dior.
Photo by Robert Polidori, courtesy of Dior.
