Stout posts riveted to the pavement are seen outside Dior’s Union Square store in San Francisco

The Dior store in Union Square, San Francisco. Photo: Dale Chan

LVMH seems to have very different ideas of what makes for attractive installations fronting their stores. In New York, they’ve put up a massive hoarding at their 57th Street flagship to hide ongoing building works, and it appears as four of their recognisable trunks stacked atop the another. It is a striking sight to behold, especially in the evening, when it is lit, augmenting the festive vibe of the city. But, across the land, on the west coast, LVMH has a totally different contraption in front of their Dior flagship in union square. Sitting directly in front of the main entrance are three hip-level bollards that appear to be made of concrete. They are riveted to the pavement. Pedestrians appear to be puzzled by the obstructive posts, not installed to divert vehicles, but, as it appears, to hinder them from ramming into the store entrance.

That they are necessary at Dior is understandable. Retail theft in the US has become so pervasive that it can no longer be ignored. More than that, they have become violent break-ins, involving motor vehicles (usually stolen) used to crash into store entrances. In fact, just last month thieves did exactly that and got away with merchandise worth “thousands of dollars (US)”, according to local news reports. But more staggering is that the deliberate crash was not the first at this store. Nearly a year earlier, thieves stole from Dior using the exact method of entry into the flagship after operation hours. Dior probably could ignore one such heist, but two is pushing it. A nearby LV store is reportedly to have suffered similar smash and grab, also last month.

Other than the bollards, the Union Square Dior flagship had a different entrance too. In the past, they were massive hinged glass doors, but presently they are opaque white, and project a sense of serious security, as with a bank vault. It is tempting to ask if it could it be armoured. Dior’s store representative reportedly declined commenting to local media. Nevertheless, the entrance now, with the bollards, does not emanate the vibe of a luxury store. This could be access to a mafia’s lair, in which contraband is stored. Protection in the present, no matter what merchandise needs it, is more important than allure. As one San Jose resident, who saw the Dior store in Union Square recently, said to SOTD, “That’s the reality, but they could’ve come up with something aesthetically nicer.”

Photo: Dale Chan for SOTD