The Dior boutique in Dalian.

Top fashion brand Christian Dior opened a boutique at Dalian Times Square in Liaoning Province during January, flying in the face of dimming prospects for retail in the economic downturn.

This latest store is Dior's 11th ladies' boutique on the Mainland and its third in the northeastern region. The new store has two floors, covering a total area of 246 sqm. The exterior design of the shop features Dior's classic rattan checks - simple, elegant and approachable.

The interior design takes after the latest style of Dior's flagship store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris created by internationally renowned architect Peter Marino.

The new boutique retains Dior's classic characteristics such as its favourite colour of grey and Louis XVI-styled round chairs. This combination of luxury, nobility and joyousness has suitably expressed the youthfulness created by John Galliano.

The leather goods section is spacious; the footwear section features a large extravagant rug to complement shoes in step with the latest trends, while the fashion section offers the most chic fashion currently in vogue in France.

A Dior men's boutique, alongside the ladies' shop, is located on the first floor of Dalian Times Square property. It is the fifth men's boutique opened by Dior on the Mainland after Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Shenyang. The shop represents the latest architectural masterpiece on the heels of other major fashion centres such as Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Ginza, Kobe, New York and Seoul.

The Dior men's has a fully open and translucent setting decorated with large, bright but opaque black and white metal and mirror panels. The interior design is the work of Dior's Paris design team, creating the effect of a perfectly balanced integration of mirrors and walls.

Showcases with black, shiny surfaces lit by downlights, stainless steel racks hanging down from the ceiling, as well as other design elements have together created an affluent ambience, featuring brightness, translucence, space and depth.

from Jasmine Lo, Dalian Office