Dior Maison celebrates the iconic medallion chair with a collaboration for the ages
The iconic furnishing receives special treatment from a cast of international artists.
They say the first impression is always the last impression. Christian Dior seemed to be of the same mind. When he first founded his eponymous brand, the designer saw to it that his shows lived up to his sartorial genius as he worked out every aspect of the presentations in minute detail — down to getting the right kind of seats for the guests.
That was when the medallion chair was conceptualised. Fashioned to complement a “sober, simple and above all classic and Parisian” decor that’s akin to the Dior sets, it evoked the uber-elegant Louis XVI style of the late 18th century.
The feminine and sensual chair, steeped in black and gold or pink and gray colour configurations, in due course made its way into the Dior salons.
First spotted in Colfichets, Dior’s maiden boutique that was inaugurated in 1947, the cannage and toile de Jouy-clad medallion chair brilliantly punctuated the bottles and coffrets of the house’s perfumes as well as in-store layout.
And as the years went by, the essential oval surmounted by a Fontanges bow went on to become one of the staples at 30 Avenue Montaigne—the centre of all things Dior.
Fast forward to present day, the medallion chair remains a treasure at the house. Dior Maison, for one, has recently invited some of the most influential artists to reimagine the historic chair.
Sam Baron, Nacho Carbonell, Pierre Charpin, Dimorestudio, Martino Gamper, Constance Guisset, India Mahdavi, Nendo, Joy de Rohan Chabot, Linde Freya Tangelder, Atang Tshikare, Seungjin Yang, Yansong Ma, Jinyeong Yeon, Tokujin Yoshioka and Pierre Yovanovitch have all reconceived this object of desire in accordance to their unique artistic and cultural sensibilities, and the results are... outstanding.
Swipe gallery below for more:
