Brand Refurbishment as Power Play

“Dior must embody "the most beautiful thing in the world," Bernard Arnault is convinced of this. So he attacks the symbol: the building on Avenue Montaigne. It will be completely rebuilt, modernized, while keeping the spirit of Christian Dior. On the fourth floor, the president's office and those of his close collaborators overlook a rotunda, the small living room is adorned with a portrait of Christian Dior and a few white flowers, two dining rooms are planned. The entire floor is covered in pearl grey, walls, mouldings, carpets, and decorated with large black and white photos of the new-look era collections. A mixture of coldness, refinement, and supreme elegance...”

“It is time to return to France to buy a company. "Find it for me," he tells Pierre Godé. Which one does he want? He has no idea. However, when he goes to Bloomingdale's to buy a blue bathrobe with a red border and a suit, he chooses Dior and thinks: "There is no more beautiful name. In the United States, the president of Dior is better known than the president of the French Republic..." Prophetic.”