Dior reopens historic Paris flagship store and launches a new museum after renovation

Christian Dior opened his first store at 30 Avenue Montaigne in 1946

The luxury label's creations on display at the new La Galerie Dior. Reuters

When Christian Dior first came across the town house at 30 Avenue Montaigne, he immediately decided that it needed to be the home of his fledgling couture label. He admired its “reduced size and classic without overwhelming pedigree”, and set about making it his.

At 9am on December 16, 1946, he officially launched his new space. Within seven years, it had been extended to occupy five floors and housed 28 workshops and 1,000 employees.

This address continued to be the Dior flagship until two years ago, when it was closed for an extensive revamp. It will reopen its doors on Sunday.

The newly expanded complex now stretches over 10,000 square metres, with cafes, gardens, a restaurant and a private apartment for overnight visits from VIP clients. This is in addition to numerous floors of retail space stocked with the label’s clothing, accessories, tableware and make-up collections.

Located next to the store is a new museum, La Galerie Dior, which traces the label's history from the 1940s. It includes some of Christian Dior’s earliest creations, his desk and an original fitting room packed with hats, gloves and jewellery.

This is the latest in a series of significant real estate investments undertaken by luxury conglomerate LVMH, Dior’s owner, in the French capital. These include two hotels, the much-anticipated Cheval Blanc and Bulgari Hotel.