We are in the heart of Paris, at the foot of a beautiful Haussmannian building. To enter, you have to show your white paw – and identity papers – to the guards who ensure the security of the premises. At the end of a courtyard then emerges another building, more modern in appearance and housing premises with a refined design, imagined to measure. Welcome to Dior Héritage, where the Mark has installed part of its archives since 2016. It is here that Soizic Pfaff, director of heritage de Dior, spends most of his time.
The history of the house, this elegant lady knows it inside out. She joined the company in 1974, where she held various positions, notably in licensing, before joining the archives in 1996. “The archives service was created in 1987 following an exhibition organized for Dior’s 40th birthday at the Musée des arts décoratifs, in Paris”, she explains. Small service turned big. Today, a dozen people work there daily.
To track down coins around the world, asset managers confess that they carry out an important Internet watch – on ebay, Le Bon Coin… -, even if the most frequent channel remains the auction rooms.
Their mission? Find archival items and documents relating to the history of the brand, list them for digitization, restore them if necessary, preserve their conservation and, if possible, trace their history. “ Our first function is to reconstruct the collections as much as possible, whether it is haute couture, ready-to-wear or accessories. In priority of course the creations of Monsieur Dior. We buy back a lot of clothes, accessories and documents. There are different channels for our acquisitions, including auction rooms. We are in constant contact with the greatest experts around the world. From now on, individuals are also contacting us directly to offer us clothing and accessories ”, adds Soizic Pfaff. Few people have access to these places. “ We study each request, especially from fashion students or researchers working on a particular theme, but Dior Héritage is not open to the public. Being able to visit these places is a privilege. ”
The success of fashion exhibitions or heritage days – Balenciaga exhibited in September on this occasion, at its head office, silhouettes from haute couture collections from 1938 to 1967 – shows the growing interest of the public for the history of fashion and designers. “It fits into a particular context. Today, fashion is more and more criticized for its excesses, its propensity to overconsumption. But understanding its history, its know-how, affirming the role it has had in the history of France, this helps to inscribe it in the culture of the country and this interests the general public ”, explains Sophie Kurkdjian, fashion historian and professor at the American University of Paris.
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