Dior Maison Creative Director Cordelia De Castellane On The Expansion of Dior Maison in the U.S.

Dior is a name that rings synonymous with the idea of French sophistication and elegance. This also holds true in the Dior Maison line of home décor pieces, which will soon be showcased at the House’s latest (and luckiest) chosen boutique, Miami Design District. From paperweights to plates, linens to lamps, and even glassware to games, customers can take their love for Dior fashion and translate it to their homes, embracing what the French do so well in their Art de Vivre. Here, I sit down with the Dior Maison Creative Director Cordelia de Castellane, who discusses the collection, the inspiration she finds in the late Monsieur Dior, and why the House chose Miami for its next destination.

Photo Credit: Joann Braun

DM: Tell me about Dior Maison, in your own words.

CDC: If Monsieur Dior were alive today, I think he would have liked to have the Dior Maison collections in his home…

DM: Who is Dior Maison for?

CDC: Dior Maison is for everyone who loves attention to detail when it comes to interior decoration.

DM: How did your background in fashion, from spending time at the ateliers at CHANEL with your uncle, to working with Emanuel Ungaro, lend itself to designing home accessories?

CDC: I love to create! Whether it’s prints, drawing, dresses…I think that anything is possible when you have an unbridled imagination. Emanuel Ungaro gave me a taste for colors and mixing materials. I have also been passionate about tableware and decoration since I was very young. It’s something that has always been a love of mine. It gives me great joy that it is now my job. I’m really lucky in that respect. And while it’s a universe that’s very different from couture, it also stems from the imagination and starts with a sketch…

Photo Credit: Adrien Dirand

DM: The Dior Maison line is dedicated to Monsieur Christian Dior’s great passions, “the art of living and French-style entertaining”—what does this mean?

CDC: The French have always had that reputation, and Monsieur Dior was a fine example of this. We’re lucky in France to have a very rich cultural heritage. For example, it was through Versailles that Louis XIV built a reputation for our country’s splendor and its “art de vivre”. In France, we take real pleasure in entertaining, in setting a beautiful table. Attention to detail is so important! For my part, I like to give a space a natural ambiance thanks to simple details…It’s a bit like Parisian women’s style: simple and elegant!

DM: What are your favorite pieces in the line and why?

CDC: I have a weakness for the Milly-la-Forêt collection. I’m very attached to the countryside, just like Monsieur Dior was.

DM: From where do you draw inspiration for the Dior Maison collections?

CDC: Monsieur Dior is my greatest source of inspiration. All the archival material about him has always been my guide. When I work on designs for Dior Maison, it’s most often in my country house.

Photo Credit: Dior

DM: Why did you choose Miami as the new home for Dior Maison?

CDC: We have so many loyal customers in Miami. They come to Paris to buy the collections. It was really important to me that we go to them!

DM: What is next for Dior Maison?

CDC: To continue to invite people to dream and grace homes all over the world.

Photo Credit: Adrien Dirand