In recent years, gastronomy has become one of the privileged territories of luxury expansion. From signature cafés to collaborations with star chefs, fashion maisons are increasingly investing in hospitality to transform boutiques into places of experience, where style, culture and conviviality meet. Think of Prada, for example, which has been following this trajectory for some time, first in Milan and now also abroad, slowly building an imaginary ‘Pradesco’ that extends beyond the realm of clothing. The maisons have realized that selling to their clientele means selling an idea, a total aesthetic concept, a world: and one cannot ignore the gastronomic aspect in this context.
This is the backdrop for Dior’s new initiative in Saint-Tropez, which accompanies the reopening of its revamped boutique with a gastronomic project entrusted to one of the most influential names in contemporary cuisine, Mauro Colagreco. Born in Argentina and a naturalized French citizen, Colagreco is the chef at Mirazur in Menton, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant that was named World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019. Always a promoter of a cuisine deeply linked to nature, biodiversity, and seasonality, he now leads more than thirty addresses around the world and is a UNESCO ambassador for biodiversity.
Starting this season, its vision also lands in the heart of the French Riviera. In fact, on the occasion of the reopening of the Dior boutique in Saint-Tropez, the maison is inaugurating Le Café Dior and the Monsieur Dior pop-up summer restaurant, housed in the garden of the historic mansion that houses the store. The project takes the form of an extension of the maison’s creative universe: Colagreco developed a menu inspired by themes dear to Christian Dior, such as the botanical world, gardens and the rhythm of the seasons, reinterpreting them through his own culinary language. “I have often said that at Mirazur we live 365 seasons a year,” the chef explains to WWD. “In all my projects, I try to respect this approach based on micro-seasons.” The meeting between Dior and Colagreco stems from a shared sensitivity to nature. The chef, who personally cultivates most of the ingredients used in his kitchens by following lunar cycles, found in the maison’s archives numerous references to the plant world that has always fueled his research. From this inspiration take shape dishes that dialogue with the brand’s aesthetic heritage. The Champ de Trèfles, for example, a red shrimp tartare decorated with motifs that recall the four-leaf clover, evokes the new Lady Dior Clover designed by Jonathan Anderson. The dessert Corolle, an iced parfait adorned with delicate crystallized flowers, on the other hand, pays homage to the first haute couture collection presented by Christian Dior in 1947.
Seated under pastel-hued umbrellas and surrounded by the boutique’s Mediterranean garden, Monsieur Dior guests will be able to choose from tasting menus and a la carte offerings. The three-course Déjeuner de Soleil course will be available at lunch, while the five-course Clair de Lune menu will be served in the evening. True to the chef’s philosophy, dishes will evolve throughout the season following the availability of the best local raw materials. Apricots, zucchini, tomatoes, cherries, figs, and peaches will move in and out of the menu according to their optimal time of ripeness, in a constantly changing gastronomic narrative. “When a restaurant accumulates too many iconic dishes, it risks becoming a museum,” Colagreco notes. “I prefer to keep creating and be guided by the seasons.”
Café Dior will open along with the renovated boutique, which has been closed for renovations since November 2024, and will operate year-round. Monsieur Dior, on the other hand, will enliven the summer season from June 8 to October. This choice is thus one more piece to be placed within the strategy by which the great maisons transform hospitality into an extension of their creative universe, a phenomenon that can only grow.
[📷 IPA]
