French luxury brand Dior has opened a new concept store in Bangkok, Thailand. The Gold House, as the store is called, is a replica of its Parisian headquarters yet executed with one million gilded golden tiles.
Since the establishment of Dior by Christian Dior in 1946, the headquarters of the brand have been located at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. That building has now served as the model for the Gold House in Bangkok, with multiple replicas of the Parisian landmark’s façade and 300 windows wrapping around a 1,000 square metre store, a café and a plant-filled courtyard. The Gold House is located across the street from the Central Embassy Mall and the Park Hyatt in Bangkok in the Ploenchit district.
While the outside of the façade is covered in gilded golden tiles, the inside is entirely clad in mirrors, as is the outside of the store. Inside the store, customers will be able to find Maria Grazia Chiuri’s womenswear collection, Kim Jones’ menswear and the Dior Maison collections. The centre of the store is defined by a domed, circular space topped with a star. Visual merchandiser Luca Albero was responsible for the design of the new space.
Many of the materials used for the interior, including bamboo, wood and raffia, are natural materials which can be found in Thailand. Artworks of nine Thai artists can be spotted throughout, including art by Korakot Aromdee, Wishulada Panthanuvong, Saran Yen Panya of 56th Studio, Rush Pleansuk and Philippe Moisan of Sumphat Gallery, Boonserm Premthada, Vassana Saima and Savin Saima of Vassana and Eggarat Wongcharit.
The café of the store offers a combination of French-inspired furniture and wall claddings in natural materials, reminding of the Thai location. At the café, dishes are prepared by the Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco.
The opening of the Gold House can be seen as an attempt of the French luxury brand to expand its footprint in the Asia Pacific Region. Due to the staggering luxury sales, many brands are trying to reach new customers and so is Dior. According to Business of Fashion, the personal luxury goods market in Thailand is set to reach $2.4 billion (83.8 billion Thai baht), turning the country into a “luxury retail powerhouse”.
