Dior’s venetian obsession: a centuries-old connection revealed

Dior’s ties to Venice run deeper than a fleeting trend – they’re interwoven with the city’s very fabric. Back in Christian Dior’s era, the legendary couturier and Salvador Dali collaborated on extravagant costumes for a lavish ball hosted by Charles de Bestegui at his Palazzo Labia. Dior himself declared these gatherings ‘genuine works of art,’ a sentiment echoing through the decades.

A legacy of luxury, layered in canals

Today, the maison’s relationship with Venice is as intricately linked as the city’s canals. The recent Biennale opening coincided seamlessly with the Casino Royale Ball at the Palazzo del Casinò, a Dior-sponsored fundraiser dedicated to restoring the exquisite Ca’ d’Oro palace. And just last Tuesday, the Casinò transformed again, hosting ‘Diorissima’ – a high jewelry spectacle showcasing Victoire de Castellane’s artistic vision.

Upstairs, a retro-glam lounge, complete with a torch singer, set the stage, while the dining hall exploded with opulent table settings crafted by Cordelia de Castellane, Dior Maison’s artistic director. Guests from across the globe, many sporting head-to-toe Dior, snapped selfies against the backdrop of the Adriatic sunset. A staggering 112 jewels were presented alongside 20 couture looks, designed by Jonathan Anderson – a visual feast of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and spinels.

But the true reveal occurred after a gala dinner orchestrated by Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco. A custom-built gaming hall, brimming with manned poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps tables, served as the runway. Here, Anderson’s designs – sculptural bustier dresses crafted from layers of gathered silk panne velvet – were lavishly adorned with jewels like the gradient pink wisteria necklace, studded with 4,100 diamonds. Castellane’s whimsical aesthetic was on full display: flora, fauna, suns, moons, and stars materialized in lacquer and precious stones. A graceful ecru silk crepe gown received a dramatic sunburst fringe necklace called Voie Lactée, shimmering with over 3,000 diamonds.

Notably, Castellane infused her personal artistry into the collection. She treated classic gems – a nearly six-carat pink oval sapphire from Madagascar and a more than 10-carat royal blue sapphire from Myanmar – with a painterly touch, contrasting them with mother-of-pearl and other ornamental stones. Lacquer, a signature element, amplified her color palette to astonishing effect, referencing Diorexquis’s doublet technique with a collage-like effect, using chrysoprase, aventurine, turquoise, chalcedony, and opal. The Diorissima Lucky Flowers necklace, featuring 178 pear-cut diamonds, exemplified this approach.

Elsewhere, a coral reef motif, outlined with ultrafine white gold lacquered in tropical blues, served as a visual echo of Monsieur Dior’s admired artists – Matisse, Man Ray, and Picasso. The runway styling itself was unconventional, with brooches repurposed as hair clips, grazing low-cut backs in an almost afterthought-like manner. The resulting scene was a celebration of timeless elegance and a potent reminder of Dior’s enduring connection to the extraordinary beauty of Venice. Ultimately, it's a legacy meticulously constructed, one opulent detail at a time.