On December 11, Dior opened its most ambitious retail project in China to date: the House of Dior Beijing, a five-story sculptural flagship in Sanlitun, the capital’s cultural and luxury retail hub.
Jonathan Anderson’s appearance in Beijing alongside Delphine Arnault, chair and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, signaled the strategic importance of the market for the house. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which brought together Dior’s long-standing celebrity partners — including Chinese actor Zhang Ziyi, and Dior global brand ambassadors Zheng Qinwen and Liu Yuxin, among others — delivered significant visibility for the flagship, which quickly gained traction across major social platforms. Candid sightings of Anderson and Arnault in the city, shared widely on Xiaohongshu and Weibo, further amplified Dior’s presence and reinforced the brand’s cultural momentum in China.
A day later, Dior offered Beijing a preview of Anderson’s spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection — a signal of intent, as much as a programming choice.
The timing is deliberate. Luxury in China is entering a delicate but decisive phase. After nearly two years of volatility, the luxury sector’s third-quarter results showed the first signs of a stabilization, sharpening focus on whether the recovery can hold. In that context, few gestures foretell long-term confidence more clearly than Dior’s new Beijing store.
“This exceptional venue is much more than a boutique: it truly is a place of unique experiences where fashion meets art in all its forms,” Arnault tells Vogue Business. “The House of Dior Beijing represents a tremendous new chapter for Dior in China… making our historic and artistic links with the inspiring country of China stronger than ever.”
A cultural beacon disguised as a flagship
Conceived by architect Christian de Portzamparc, the House of Dior Beijing extends the architectural language Dior launched in Seoul (2015) and Geneva (2024). Petal-shaped shells, golden vertical tiles (reserved in Chinese tradition for royal dignitaries) and a star crowning the façade create a building that is both sculptural and symbolic — more cultural installation than retail environment.
Inside, the flagship houses women’s, men’s, high jewelry, watches, Dior maison and a room filled with white toiles, designed by world-renowned, Rotterdam-based firm OMA, echoing Dior’s historic flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne. The Monsieur Dior restaurant on the garden level reinforces the maison’s ambition to anchor French art de vivre within China’s most influential urban nodes.
“A perfect showcase for new creative energy — in the highly dynamic Sanlitun district — the House of Dior Beijing allows French art de vivre, so dear to Dior, to radiate,” Arnault says. “China suffuses tremendous energy and a breath of inventiveness that speaks to all generations.”
Dior’s long-standing dialog with Chinese artists, architects and designers is extended through the Beijing flagship. French sculptor Claude Lalanne’s Ginkgo Leaf bench anchors the entrance, followed by visual artist Sarah Meyohas’s mist-like painting and Valeria Nascimento’s ceramic installation Gold Cascade. Pieces by furniture designers Hervé Van der Straeten and Franck Evennou, visual artist Not Vital, multimedia creative Xu Zhen, painter Xiyao Wang, and sculptor Annalu introduce a vibrant energy throughout the space.
At Monsieur Dior, three commissioned works by Chinese multimedia artist Hong Hao — one in shimmering silver and multicolored tones, and two in striking red geometric forms — reference the vitality of Beijing and reflect Dior’s continuous involvement with Chinese contemporary art, including its ongoing Dior Lady Art collaborations.
Arnault notes that young Chinese artists “are writing a new chapter in this story”, with the new location intended as “one of the showcases of this effervescence and cultural affinities”. This aligns with the broader industry sentiment that future growth will depend less on transactional retail and more on cultural integration, localized creativity and experiential spaces that justify luxury’s price premiums.
A strategic read on China’s next luxury cycle
The store opening coincides with a critical period for luxury. Chinese shoppers have shown early signs of returning to discretionary spending since the third quarter of 2025. Market analysts point to a gradual soft landing: slower but more stable growth, a return of domestic purchasing, and rising demand for high-touch retail experiences.
Through Q3, several major luxury groups reported an inflection point in their China performance after almost two years of volatility. Dior parent company LVMH described a “progressive normalization” in Chinese consumption, noting improving trends in fashion and leather goods compared with earlier quarters. Cartier owner Richemont flagged “encouraging momentum” led by jewelry, though growth remained uneven across cities. And Kering, still in the midst of resetting Gucci, confirmed that Chinese sales were “showing early signs of re-engagement” but at a “more moderate pace than pre-2021 levels”.
For Dior, doubling down at this juncture carries power. It positions the house on the front foot while much of the industry continues to recalibrate its expectations.
“Today more than ever, Dior views China as a key driver of growth for the global luxury market,” Arnault notes. “This goes beyond the purely economic context, as China is also a huge creative hub that inspires us… at the convergence of heritage, ancestral local savoir faire, and the most avant-garde innovations.”
Her emphasis on China as a creative engine — not simply a revenue driver — mirrors a broader shift across leading maisons: the need to participate more deeply in China’s cultural fabric to sustain long-term affinity. Dior’s long-standing collaborations with Chinese artists, its Dior Lady Art commissions, and its alignment with young Chinese creators function as both symbolic investments and strategic hedges against an increasingly discerning luxury consumer.
