The “Dior VIII Grand Bal” collection is the proof of Christian Dior’s admiration for a good party: an innate sensibility with a taste for the essential that liked to bring art together with futility. Alternately master of shadows or coveted actor, guest of honor or costumer, this man was front and center for every event that defined his era. When Étienne de Beaumont orchestrated the “King and Queen’s Ball” in 1949, Christian Dior made an appearance as the king of animals. For the legendary “Ball of the Century” in Venice, the artist dressed Daisy Fellows. He would write on the subject: “It was the most beautiful of parties that I lived to see and will ever live to see.” It is this very burst of emotion that is conveyed by the Dior VIII. On the dial, crafted to perfection with the manufacturer’s savoir-faire, the tourbillon relays the sensual and hypnotic twirling of dresses during a dance. This is Dior time. Fast, frantically putting the finishing touches on collections; also that of the artisan, slow, conscientious and precise for en embroidery, the setting of a gem, or the specific distillation of a rare floral essence… Just like the hours spent creating a ball gown, studying meters of fabrics and complicated patrons, each Dior VIII watch narrates all the brand’s rules. The architectural line, the nod to the “tailleur Bar”, the multiple versions available, precious, light, all celebrate, day and night, an approach to elegance made of refinement and preciousness, become throughout time the icon that we know today. And the 8: Christian Dior’s lucky number. It is this poetic aesthetic that constitutes the heart of the Dior VIII. From the backside of the casing, carefully constructed just like the lining of a dress, to the refined details on the dial, this prodigious timepiece fuses the best of mechanics and an ultimate attention to detail. Already a classic, eminently chic. Seeing it so frivolous and yet so precise, how could you not immediately think of an authentic Parisienne? When it plays with colors, juggles references, and skirts around diameters, the Dior VIII becomes even more perfect. Next summer, the “Plissé Soleil” and “Fil de Soie” Grand Bal watches will be added to the Dior VIII collection. One is magnified upon contact with steel and nacre, while the other uses silk – “the Queen of materials, the most ravishing, the most feminine, the most enchanting” according to Monsieur Dior. With nods to corsetry, an Pop Art vibe, and arachnid allusions to lace, this delicate composition – available in sea green or tender pink – spreads out over a black Vietnam nacre dial, dotted with brilliant cut diamonds, evoking a magical night lit up by a rose gold bezel. The night is destined to be enchanted by each movement of the wrist.
Stars and Zodiac signs for Dior: Key dates
1946 : In the late evening of April 18 Christian Dior walks in Faubourg Saint-Honoré and trips over a small, rusty metallic object: it’s an old cog from an industrial machine in the shape of a star. Dior has a dreamy and superstitious temper and interprets it as a sign: the next day he will decide to run his own haute couture firm, «Christian Dior».
1952 : Five years later Christian Dior decides to celebrate this meeting through a simple black robe with a white stars pattern, precisely named «Lucky star».
2004 : During the wide architectural restyling operated by Peter Marino on Dior’s flagship stores and historical buildings the «lucky star» really stands out. The Japanese architect Kumiko Inui signs the project of the Dior building in Ginza, Tokyo. At the top of the magnificent skyscraper is collocated a little «lucky star».
Until 2005 : Stars never leave Dior and occasionally pop out on robes and the accessories, especially after the maison’s debut in the segment of fine jewellery. There’s even a «Dior Star» perfume.
2011 : At the iconic location of Bon Marché in Paris takes place an exhibition dedicated to Dior’s history: the iconic «Lucky star» is collocated at the entrance, so to welcome the visitors.
2011 : Starting from 2011 starry nights are protagonists with the debut of the watch collection «Dior VIII». 8 as the day when the maison was founded. Stars, as Dior’s lucky star.
2013 : Stars shine for Dior cosmetics with the debut of the collections «Mystic Metallics» followed by «The lucky star».
2015 : Just like a fairy… the maison Dior brings to the newborn babies a rain of little stars with the line «Baby Dior».
2015 : For the New Year’s celebrations the artistic director of Dior’s Jewelry, Victoire de Castellane, pays tribute to the lucky star, through the new collection «Rose des Vents», «The compass rose».
2016 : The new collection of rings «Lucky Dior» displays a series of precious good-luck charms adorned by signs and symbols which brought good luck to Christian Dior. Among these, of course, the lucky star.
2016 : The new artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri widely uses combinations of badges and charms on Lady Dior bags and several models of eyewear. Among these amulets and talismans stars are again protagonists.
2017 : Lady Dior is reworked for the limited edition «I feel blue», an exclusive line to celebrate the 70 years of the maison Dior.
.2017 : With the Spring/Summer ready to wear line Maria Grazia Chiuri pays tribute to Dior’s lucky star, to his passion for astrology and tarots. The most iconic pieces are two pulls named «The star» and «The moon».
2017 : Even the Spring/Summer haute couture collection, presented inside a magical wood, talks about stars, tarots and Zodiac signs.
2017 : For the Autumn/Winter collection Maria Grazia Chiuri brings back on the stage the key aesthetic codes of the maison. The star is celebrated through a marvellous gown replicating a starry night and several black gowns with golden stars.
2017 – 2018 : For the Pre Fall Autumn/Winter it is now the theatrical setting of the catwalk to make a clear reference to Dior’s lucky star. The Italian artist Pietro Ruffo decorates the stage with a fresco in the shape of Christian Dior’s lucky star.
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