New York—here’s something that’s your cup of tea. On May 1, Dior and The Lowell Hotel will begin an afternoon tea service at the hotel’s restaurant, Majorelle.
But don’t just expect a few napkins embroidered with a logo. (Although they do have those). The French maison has curated everything from the tableware to the confections with their house codes: in addition to classics like chicken curry sandwiches and scones, there’s a “Happiness Pink” lemon curd cake that serves as a nod to Christian Dior’s beloved blush shade. The signature tea is “Jardin Bleu,” a black brew with notes of rhubarb, wild strawberry, and cornflower. (A symbolic offering, as Dior had a lifelong passion for gardens, finding an endless well of inspiration in the landscaping of her childhood home, Villa Les Rhumbs. “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,” he wrote in his autobiography Dior by Dior.)
Fittingly, flowers serve as a motif throughout. Their white Limoges porcelain is adorned by lily of the valley, as are tea cookies and waiters’ uniforms. “Christian Dior loved lily of the valley; he even sewed a sprig into the hem of his dresses for shows,” Cordelia de Castellane, artistic director for Dior Maison, tells Vogue. In addition, May 1—their opening day in New York—is Fête du Muguet in France. It’s a holiday tradition for the French to give their family members lily of the valley for good luck. (At Majorelle, guests, too, will receive a spring of the flower to put in their pockets.)
Green is everywhere, from the napkins, to the teapots, to the tablecloths. That, too, is a nod to Dior himself: “Green is the color of nature, which enthralled Monsieur Dior, who was fascinated by the infinite beauty of flowers. It’s a color 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,” de Castellane says. (And while New York City is far from the idyllic French countryside where Christian Dior grew up, perhaps he too would have joy in the colorful Park Avenue tulips that sit steps away from Lowell.)
Dior Maison’s afternoon tea will be served from 12:30 to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.