Each week, we dive into the vast archives of our favourite brands and houses to extract and share their most luxurious (and thus, pricey) miscellanea. This week, our drip of choice is Dior’s artisanal crockery in the pastoral toile de Jouy.
When you look at items that come from a fashion house with as rich a heritage as Dior, there are stories to be told about every single creation that has come out of their stores. The toile de Jouy is no exception — on top of being a part of Christian Dior’s legacy, it also is itself a medium for story-telling, its vignettes painting flora and fauna with luminous detail.
First appearing in 1760 from Jouy-en-Josas just south of Versailles, toile prints were a discreet means to spread populist themes, political messages or record historical events, its tableaus depicting things like the first hot-air balloon flight in 1784 and even sailing ships landing on tropical islands, symbolizing the French colony’s expansion. Monsieur Dior first took it into the Maison as a decoration on the walls of the 30 Avenue Montaigne boutique, before being reinterpreted by Maria Grazia Chiuri as the “tiger and monkey” print most recognise today.
This collection sees an assortment of dinner, dessert and bread plates, as well as a platter, salad bowl, soup tureen and tea and coffee sets decorated with intense but elegant sketches in blue — a new variation that pays homage to one of Christian Dior’s key colours.
Created in the dazzlingly white Limoges porcelain, each piece is worked by hand from a mould, the enamelling and meticulous painting showcasing artisanal prowess only capable of a house as decadently expressed as Dior. This collection also includes table linen, either plain or in white jacquard, the latter further adding to the enchanting complexity of the set.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2022 issue!
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