Dior Style: Lily of the Vally

In grand Dior style, the fashion house has just introduced a botanical-themed afternoon tea at the Lowell Hotel in New York, USA.

The “Lily of the Vally” afternoon tea will be served in the hotel’s restaurant, Majorelle, with everything from the tableware to the confections curated by Dior.

Inspired by his childhood home and its garden, the menu features some of the iconic designer’s favourite hues along with floral notes that entice the senses. There’s the Happiness Pink lemon curd cake (a nod to Dior’s beloved blush shade) and a signature tea with notes of rhubarb, wild strawberry and cornflower.

It’s well-known that the designer had a great passion for gardens, writing in his autobiography Dior by Dior: “I have the most tender and amazed memories… of my childhood home. I would even say that my life and my style owe almost everything to its site and architecture”.

So, it comes as little surprise that flowers are a consistent theme throughout the afternoon tea, with lily of the valley designs adorning the white Limoges porcelain in the restaurant, the tea cookies and the waiters’ uniforms.

Of the flower’s significance, Cordelia de Castellane, artistic director for Dior Maison says: “Christian Dior loved lily of the valley; he even sewed a sprig into the hem of his dresses for shows”.

Another signature design element is the use of green throughout, including for the teapots and table linen. “Green is the colour of nature, which enthralled Monsieur Dior, who was fascinated by the infinite beauty of flowers. It’s a colour that goes with everything, and one that we love to use in our Dior Maison collections, as a tribute to his eternal love of gardens,” says Castellane.

The Lily of the Valley afternoon tea is served from 12.30 to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday.