Exhibition in Beijing Celebrates Rihanna’s J’adore and China-France Ties

Dior’s latest exhibition in Beijing radiates with a stunning golden glow. Held at the Guardian Art Center, close to the Forbidden City, the retrospective showcases archival fashion pieces and artworks celebrating gold through fashion, art, and culture.

Open to the public for free until Sept. 29, the exhibition features 15 thematic rooms offering a multisensory experience. Visitors can secure their spot by making a reservation on Dior’s WeChat Mini Program.

“There is only one thing I want every visitor to experience, to make them dream. Dior is a house of dreams,” said Véronique Courtois, chief executive officer of Parfums Christian Dior. “My ambition would be to enlarge the group of dreamers in the world and bring this desirability to every corner of the world.”

In addition to celebrating 60 years of China-France diplomatic relations, the exhibition forms part of the “Croisements 60” festival—a massive arts and cultural event featuring over 400 activities in 31 Chinese cities from April to December.

“We have a lot in common with China, and one of them is a unique color, which is gold. When you think of China, gold is one of the predominant colors that come to mind,” Courtois noted. “For Dior, gold is much more than a color; it is an important attribute of the brand.”

Showcasing pieces from 14 contemporary Chinese artists, some of which were commissioned by Dior over the years, the exhibition casts light on the avant-garde facets of Chinese culture. Artists like Bao Yang, Liu Wa, Chen Ke, Han Duyi, Lin Tianmiao, and others contribute to this carefully curated collection.

Upon entering, visitors are welcomed by Chen Ke’s graphic-style painting titled “Mr. Dior and Models.” This leads into the cabinet of curiosities, highlighting Dior’s indelible connection with gold in various forms.

Miniature New Look dresses, gilded jewelry—including a piece worn by Charlize Theron in the first Rogue Dior campaign in 2006—and numerous iterations of the J’adore bottle display the quintessential Dior style.

The olfactory journey begins with “World of Flowers,” where visitors can encounter five floral-scented diffusers within a floral garden adorned with thousands of paper flowers.

A subsequent room features Rihanna’s latest J’adore campaign, shot by Steven Klein. In this campaign, the singer glides through the gilded halls of Château de Versailles, emphasizing the tagline, “Your dreams…make them real.”

Rihanna, the first new face of J’adore in over 20 years, brings a fresh energy to the fragrance originally created in 1999. “You need to engage every generation, every person, every country, and it is undeniably true that Rihanna is known worldwide. She is strong, she is free, she is super supportive of female empowerment, and she brings genuine energy,” Courtois said.

The exhibition also showcases the golden embroidered bustier gown Rihanna wore in the J’adore campaign. Displayed in the “The Golden Dream” section, it highlights golden couture silhouettes designed by Christian Dior and his successors, including Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Regal dresses appear in the “Golden Garden” room, creating a fantasy couture party scene. A golden reconstruction of the Dior flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne features artist-designed Lady Dior Bags, some of which are being shown for the first time.

“Christian Dior’s Gallery” includes art pieces celebrating gold, while four other rooms feature original artworks commissioned by Dior to expand on the brand’s attraction to gold. Noteworthy pieces include Liu Jianhua’s “The Illuminated Object”—2,000 ceramic droplets mimicking a J’adore bottle; Lin Tianmiao’s “Procedure,” which interprets savoir-faire gestures; a digital fresco by Refik Anadol, and an immersive work by Élise Morin.

To mark the exhibition’s opening, Dior hosted a livestream across platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat, and others, amassing over 71.2 million views. Dior’s global and Chinese brand ambassadors, along with notable friends of the house, shared their perspectives on the exhibition and the significance of gold.

Source: Dior