It's the most wonderful time of the year. There's not much I enjoy about the British winter apart from seeing London lit up with all the Christmas lights. This year, Dior has taken over Harrods giving it a festive gingerbread-themed makeover. Alongside giving all the store windows and store facade the Dior treatment, they also have a temporary exhibition made entirely from gingerbread. It's a must-see!
The Fabulous World of Dior is a free exhibition open to the public. You are brought to a set of escalators travelling down to the lower ground of the store. Surrounding the escalators is something straight out of the entrance of La Galerie Dior in Paris. A very aesthetically pleasing rainbow of miniature versions of the brand's classic bags, gowns and shoes in block colours.
At the bottom of the escalators, you are stopped by a large curtain which is soon pulled back to reveal an incredible gingerbread depiction of 30 Montaigne, Dior's flagship store in Paris. The real-life version of the building carries a lot of history being the place Christian Dior opened his first atelier and store in Paris, just off Champs-Élyseés. Christian Dior's shop then expanded from 30 Montaigne to pretty much the entire block. In the gingerbread version, there are cut out windows showing various ateliers and seamstresses made from, you guessed it, gingerbread.
I loved the window with the J'adior slingback and how they incorporated the gingerbread to set the scene. I also loved the staircase in the middle window which on every level had families and people spread out on the landing. The tour guide mentioned the staircase railing was made from sugar. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to share but it's amazing. It was incredible to see the art and skill that went into not just beautifully decorating the gingerbread pieces and scenes but constructing it too. As an exhibition from Dior, would you ever expect anything less?
The rest of the exhibition followed similarly, carrying that wow factor. Behind the main masterpiece was a garden containing miniature garden-inspired dresses twirling in a snow-like scene. It was something small and simple but paired with the whimsical classical music that follows you through the exhibition, it was stunning. If you've been to La Galerie Dior, you would recognise quite a few of the gowns.
The last gingerbread scene you see before you are guided to the exit are gingerbread characters playing in the snow. There's one scene of a parent and child building a snowman in the snow - which just so happens to be a Dior gown!
The exhibition is a piece of Christmas magic located in the heart of Harrods. It's a small but mighty exhibition showcasing three of Christian Dior's favourite buildings – 30 Montaigne, Granville and La Colle Noire – made from gingerbread. The winter wonderland brings some of the Dior magic to the UK, which it hasn't seen since the incredible V&A showcase back in 2019. There is also a Dior cafe located on the ground floor where you can buy some Dior-inspired gingerbread treats. Personally, I'd skip that and head to the Harrods bakery and treat yourself to one of their cakes instead.
Love, Aoife
The exhibition is ticketed (but free) until Jan 3rd.
Social Icons