GRASSE, THE CRADLE OF PERFUMERY

Provence and the Grasse area are closely tied to the history of Dior. It was there that Christian Dior, a lover of flowers, chose to have his holiday home, the Château de la Colle Noire.

Today, Dior has chosen the incomparable climate of Grasse and its unique terrain to cultivate its May rose and jasmine.

LA COLLE NOIRE

Christian Dior acquired Château de La Colle Noire in 1951. He often stayed at this property in Montauroux, near Grasse, and loved getting away from Paris to foster his love for the land: there he could indulge his passion for flowers, creating a magnificent garden where he planted thousands of fragrant flowers.

The House of Dior has now chosen to restore this property full of memories and refurbish it the way Christian Dior wanted, to revive his dream of being a perfumer. 

"I would like that house to be my true home. " Christian Dior

Damesgeur

The May rose and Grasse jasmine have always been important for Dior. These exceptional flowers nurture an ideal: beautifully unique flowers with exceptional fragrances.

Parfums Dior has now been fostering exclusive partnerships with young fragrant flower producers in the Grasse region for 10 years. "Domaine du Manon" and "Clos de Callian" set aside their entire crop of May roses and jasmine for Dior fragrances.

François Demachy, Dior's perfumer-creator, works hand-in-hand with producers of these estates to craft a tailor-made Centifolia rose and a Grandiflorum jasmine especially for Dior fragrances.

These estates enjoy a unique position between the sea and the mountains. Geological and climatic conditions give their flowers exceptional qualities. But above all, gathering these flowers requires an intense human effort.

The pickers collect these exceptional flowers with the utmost care and attention, to ensure all the essence is preserved: jasmine can only be harvested at dawn, before sunrise, after the flowers have blossomed during the night.   

A profusion of exceptional flowers is required to make Dior fragrances: 300,000 flowers are needed to produce 1 kilo of rose absolute and 600 to 700 kilos of Grasse jasmine make 1 kilo of absolute.

LES FONTAINES PARFUMÉES

An exceptional estate at the heart of Grasse, world-renowned cradle of perfumery. Fully dedicated to fragrance creation, this house is now the domain of perfumer-creator François Demachy, in his native land, his land of inspiration. His creation studio will concentrate the finest of French high perfumery expertise, from flower to bottle, all in one place. By choosing Grasse, a region known for its cultivation of flowers for perfume, the House of Dior is ensured of the finest natural ingredients for its fragrances. An exceptional hub of creation, the Bastide des Fontaines Parfumées will play a key role in perpetuating the Grasse heritage with respect for the land and the passage of time.