Since 1999, Dior Joaillerie’s artistic director, Victoire de Castellane, has created an array of fine and high jewellery collections that reflects the universe of its founder, Christian Dior, drawing from his love of gardens and flowers, especially roses. After all, Monsieur Dior once wrote: “Real jewellery is the highest point in luxury”.
This season, and a first for de Castellane, she reimagines Toile de Jouy – an enduring Dior code since 1947 – for the house’s first chapter of its new haute joaillerie collection. Named Diorama, it weaves a tapestry of dreamy foliage, where animals frolic, forage, and even sleep. It is a love letter to the maison’s rich heritage, capturing the essence of femininity and fantasy that Dior is known for. A labour of love that took two years to complete, the 172-piece Diorama features the largest number of gemstones ever dedicated to a single Dior jewellery collection.
The Toile de Jouy motif has a long history that predates the maison. English for “cloth from Jouy-en-Josas”, Toile de Jouy originated in 18th-century France and typically depicted intricate, repeated patterns of scenes printed in a single colour (usually blue, black, or red) against a white background. Depending on what the textile maker fancied, each toile print told a story, and would feature a different motifs, including florals, geometric patterns, botanicals, mythological subjects, and even popular culture or current events.
