Jisoo, Mile and Apo Fete Dior Gold House Concept Store Opening in Bangkok

GOLDEN NIGHT: Dior officially unveiled its Gold House concept store in Bangkok on Friday with a starry crowd led by brand ambassador Jisoo.

The member of K-pop girl group Blackpink donned a black lace gown and a matching Lady Dior bag.

At the landmark opening, she was joined by Thai celebrities Tontawan “Tu” Tantivejakul, Nattawin “Apo” Wattanagitiphat, Phakphum “Mile” Romsaithong, Jirayu “James” Tangsrrisuk and Kimberley Anne Woltemas, who got married in a custom-made Dior gown last year.

Delphine Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture, said the Dior Gold House, infused with the creative energy of Thailand and Bangkok, is “a unique address that we wanted to be at once surprising and enchanting, where the codes and history of Dior radiate, starting with our love of gardens as much as for creation in all its forms.”

She added that it serves as a place dedicated to the French art of living and entertaining conversing with the works of Thai artists and designers, and “an outstandingly hybrid kingdom of dreams, where creativity is in motion, inspiration everywhere, and where visitors can even take advantage at Café Dior of a menu specially conceived by three-starred chef Mauro Colagreco, who has reinterpreted Christian Dior’s fascinating legacy with virtuosity.”

As reported, Dior Gold House marks Thailand’s growing importance as a market for luxury brands. It is located at 1029 Ploenchit Road in the Ploenchit district of central Bangkok, home to upscale apartments, high-end malls and boutiques, luxury hotels, and embassies.

The store showcases Dior creations alongside the works of nine local artists and a café featuring sweet treats by Colagreco.

Among the featured artists are Korakot Aromdee, known for his swirling light fittings made of bamboo; Wishulada Panthanuvong, who makes artwork from waste materials, and Saran Yen Panya, founder of 56th Studio, whose latest creation is a Christmas tree made of 25,000 handwoven Thai fans, currently on view at the King Power Rang Nam mall.

They are joined by Thai architect and designer Rush Pleansuk and French photographer Philippe Moisan of Sumphat Gallery, which specializes in collectible design; architect Boonserm Premthada, founder of Bangkok Project Studio; Vassana Saima and Savin Saima of Vassana, known for its bamboo basketry, turning bamboo into a series of Lady Dior bags, and furniture designer Eggarat Wongcharit.

The Café Dior is helmed by Colagreco, the Argentine chef who earned three Michelin stars for his Mirazur restaurant in Menton, France, and who heads eateries worldwide, including Bangkok’s Côte.

“I’m delighted to have contributed to the birth of Café Dior in Bangkok within the Dior Gold House concept store, and to have been able to build plural dialogues between the worlds of haute couture and haute gastronomy. Two professions more alive than ever, and fundamentally linked to manual creation, allowing artisanship to shine through their understanding of processes and time,” commented Colagreco.

The Colorama room is also a major attraction of the store, where some 198 Lady Dior bags, including sculptures and actual bags, are on panoramic display.

The store’s golden, 15-meter-tall facade made with 820,000 mosaic tiles, featuring 300 window modules, and a two-meter star at the top, is inspired by the architecture of the brand’s historic Paris flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne. It echoes the brand’s supersized pop-up store in Seoul, which opened in 2022.

The temporary structure is due to remain in place for two years, evolving with the seasons and collections designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones, creative directors of womenswear and menswear, respectively.

The Gold House concept store is Dior’s fifth standalone boutique in the Thai capital, with the others in Bangkok Emporium, Siam Paragon, Icon Siam and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. It also has an outpost in the popular resort town of Phuket.