Miss Dior: a Grasse fragrance at the heart of the New Look

For Christian Dior's first couture collection in 1947, an enchanting and mysterious fragrance filled 30 avenue Montaigne, decorated with a host of flowers for the occasion. Christian Dior launched Miss Dior, his first fragrance, the very essence of the New Look.

Inspired by the Grasse region and created by Paul Vacher based on rose and jasmine, Miss Dior offered a higher perfume concentration than the other houses — the fragrance equivalent of the impressive lengths of fabric sometimes used for a single dress.

30 avenue Montaigne

12 February 1947 is a historic date for the House of Dior: Christian Dior launched his first collection with the Corolle and En 8 lines, christened the New Look by Carmel Snow, the famous editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar.

Established at 30 avenue Montaigne, his couture house was located in a townhouse with beautifully harmonious architectural planning. Even before the official opening, Serge Heftler-Louiche suggested that his childhood friend Christian Dior should found the Christian Dior perfume company, which came into being on 13 March 1947. Miss Dior would become available for sale at the end of 1947, after a long year of tests and trials in the salons of 30 avenue Montaigne.

Christian Dior and Grasse perfumers

Passionate about flowers and fragrances, Christian Dior and Serge Heftler-Louiche, the founder and the first CEO of Christian Dior Parfums, approached Grasse perfumers to create their finest perfumes. Following Paul Vacher for Miss Dior in 1947, Christian Dior met Edmond Roudnitska, the self-styled "Perfumer/Composer". Prestigious compositions, such as Diorama, Eau Fraîche, Diorissimo and Eau Sauvage, followed hot on the heels of each other.

Thanks to its perfumers' expertise, Grasse would always feature at the heart of Parfums Christian Dior's fragrances: Guy Robert for Dioressence, Edouard Fléchier for Poison and Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud for Eau de Dolce Vita. Since 2006, Grasse native François Demachy has been the House of Dior's official perfumer-creator.

Christian Dior at La Colle Noire

On 24 October 1950, Christian Dior purchased the Château de La Colle Noire, a former coaching inn dating back to the 18th century, and its vast estate on the outskirts of Montauroux. He undertook a new project on the estate, going back to his architectural roots, featuring a garden and a 50-hectare farm used to grow roses, jasmine, lavender, vines, olive trees, fruit and vegetables, etc.

A setting devoted to creativity, art and friendship, the Château de la Colle Noire welcomed distinguished guests from 1951 to 1957, including Bernard Buffet, Marc Chagall, Marie-Blanche de Polignac, René Gruau, Georges and Nora Auric and Marie-Laure de Noailles. These artistic figures came to share something of Christian Dior's life in his Provençal dream home.