Dior Opens First Store in Tel Aviv

In the city of Tel Aviv, Hei Bei-Iyar Street and shopping is always inseparable. 

Long known for its abundance of luxury brands within the confines of Kikar Hamedina, the circular-shaped street is equivalent to an oasis for the city’s rich, stylish and famous to stock on their usual designer fashion “provisions”. 

After years of occupying an exclusive space within Enigma Boutique - one of Kikar Hamedina’s renowned tenants - French fashion maison Christian Dior has taken one step further in strengthening its presence within Israel with the opening of its first boutique at the famous retail belt. Opened to the public last November, the store was a result of a partnership between Dior and Silvia Schwartzman, the owner of Enigma Boutique.

Fashioned after the original concept of Dior’s Paris store, the Dior Tel Aviv store, which was conceptualised by architect Peter Marino, amalgamates the elements drawn from the 18th century with modern influences to impart both feminine and glamour. 

Created to reminisce an elegant Parisian apartment, the store is fitted with classical limestone completed with grey silk carpets. Inside, it is furnished with oval chairs and Louis XVI sofas to reflect the lavish yet harmonious ethos of the storied maison. 

Divided into two floors, customers will be warmly welcomed by the sights of Dior’s delectable selection of handbags and shoes at the ground floor. 

Neatly encased within their own displays, the store’s well-edited selection of accessories beautifully complements the interior setting that is awashed in subtle pastel hue. Iconic carriers such as Lady Dior and the Cannage collection are all proudly displayed on the metal racks while small leather goods are encased within glass displays. 

Descend to the basement and you will find an exquisite array of Dior ready-to-wear collections meticulously conceptualised and crafted by Raf Simons. 

A sumptuous area where women could indulge in their utmost passion - shopping, that is - the basement is imbued with minimalist metal racks and a number of mannequins in various poses. There is also an exclusive VIP salon where important customers of Dior could shop in a peace of mind via private appointments.  

In conjunction with the opening of its first store in Tel Aviv, Dior has recently organised an exhibition called Lady Dior As Seen By at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. 

A chic travelling exhibition dedicated to Dior’s most celebrated icon of all time, the Lady Dior bag, diverse permutations of Lady Dior, reinterpreted through different artistic point of views were put on display. For the Tel Aviv leg of the exhibition, multidisciplinary Israeli artists Nelly Agassi and Mona Oren created two new interpretations of Lady Dior.

Using it as her new canvas to experiment with her creativity, Agassi partly painted one red as a playful and personal way to question the act of creation and re-creation. 

On the other hand, Oren created a Lady Dior sculpture from white wax, making it almost an abstract figure where the eternal and the transitory enter into dialogue. 

A soiree was also held to officiate the exhibition and was attended by Tel Aviv’s creme de la creme comprising important clients and celebrities, all dressed in Dior, nonetheless. 

Also present at the event were Sidney Toledano, the CEO of Christian Dior, Patrick Maisonnave, the French Ambassador to Israel, London-based Swiss artist Olympia Scarry and Israeli runway goddess Bar Rafaeli who looked stunning in an all-black Dior ensemble. 

*Photos by Amit Geron / Courtesy of Dior. 

Dior - 34, Kikar Hamedina, Hei Bei-Iyar Street, Tel Aviv, Israel.