So Christian

But Mumbai gets Dior. It gets the insanities,the ingenuities of their head designer John Galliano. It gets their butterfly sleeves,bias cuts,bows around the neck and handbags that rely on shape and structure more than label and logo. It isn’t surprising then that even though they haven’t officially launched in Mumbai or advertised anywhere at all (although the store has been open for business for two weeks now),they sold four pieces of its latest evening bag— the metal minaudiere,at well over Rs 1 lakh each—in their first week alone. And they’re already placing orders for more of their soft calf-skin Libertine shoes.

The store is at the Taj Mahal hotel’s heritage wing,close to the mother-ship Louis Vuitton (Dior is owned by Bernard Arnault’s LVMH group,a big fashion conglomerate that changed the luxury business forever in the 1990s). It is decorated in plain shades of silver and grey,much like the Dior flagship in Avenue Montaigne in Paris,but without any of the splendidly sculpted furniture. It is managed by the remarkable Rohini Yvon,a Francophile and,naturellement,Dior lover,the most sparkling store manager I’ve ever met (and I’ve met all the ones on Rue du Faubourg-St Honore).

The boutique is extremely well stocked,which is hardly what you can say about many European labels in India. It has all their popular handbags: several pieces of the instantly recognisable Lady Dior in the newest colours,the very popular Granville (named after Monsieur Dior’s hometown),the rocker-style Le Trente,the very chic New Look 3D and whatever else you’d be looking for. The sunglasses and watches are there too,but so is their Dior Joaillerie,their very glamorous fashion jewellery line by Camille Micelli.

And at the farthest end hangs the winter line. Feminine and form-flattering dresses and jackets that are so Christian Dior you can smell them from afar,served with a modern edginess by Galliano. I fell in love with a plaid smoking jacket in beige,politely putting it back on its rack after reading its price tag: Rs 1.8 lakh.

I’ve always felt that Mumbai is one city where a lady will not want something just because her neighbour has it. The Mumbai missus knows her mind,her style sense and fashion capacities. She can recognise good quality and value for money with just a touch. Which is why she makes Mumbai a tough place to find success in.

Christian Dior is one of the very few labels in the world adored for its clothes as well as its accessories. And its Mumbai experience is something the late Frenchman would have been especially proud of.

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