The Palace of Versailles has served as a captivating muse for designers throughout history, and Monsieur Christian Dior is no exception. He found endless inspiration in the architecture, the gilded interiors, the sprawling gardens, and the history of the place itself.
Dior’s fascination with Versailles was so profound that it became a major influence in the design of his iconic 'New Look' fashion, characterized by its structured femininity and opulent elegance. Years later, Dior’s creative director of fine jewellery, Victoire de Castellane, shares a similar passion.
De Castellane presented her work in 2017 at Dior’s boutique in Midtown, citing the unseen corners of Versailles as her inspiration: hidden doorways, secret corridors between the king’s bedroom and that of his mistress, and concealed drawers filled with precious objects and letters.
De Castellane likes to mix old and new; she took a rubellite necklace and flipped it over to reveal a tiny piece of reflective metal: “We used a piece of a 19th-century mirror [on the back], to keep it part of the story.”