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10/13/2020
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From the shine...
In October 1946 Christian Dior founded his fashion house and presented already on 12. 2. 1947 his first collection, which made him immediately famous. The success can be called historic today ; Dior is since then considered the inventor of the "New Look". What many people are less aware of is that immediately upon founding his fashion house, Dior already felt the need to register his "Société des Parfums Christian Dior". Already in March 1947, this was registered.
The clever Christian Dior saw perfume as indispensable for a fashion house and commissioned the perfumer Paul Vacher to develop a first fragrance.
A source of inspiration to" Miss Dior " was, among other things, in Grasse, where Dior had close relatives.
Paul Vacher combined roses, jasmine and gardenias from Grasse with galbanum from Persia and contrasted them with a strong portion of oakmoss and labdanum.
For the presentation of the Dior collection, the entire fashion house on Avenue Montaigne was decorated with flowers and sprayed "Miss Dior."
In the post-war period, the green chypre - accord of "Miss Dior" was a real specialty. The aldehydes used in the composition and the green tones on a slightly animalic base were new in this combination and so completely different from the powdery-heavy perfumes that were popular at the time.
Paul Vacher had, after all, already made a name for himself with "Le Galion" (created in 1936). Dior and Vacher knew the style-defining perfume "Chypre" by Coty from 1917 and were both enthusiastic about the composition. Therefore, they created a modern chypre, younger and fresher than its model by galbanum and gardenia, a perfume for the women who had regained their freedom.
The green chypre became the olfactory reflection of the New Look: houndstooth, narrow waist, gray and white, swinging, wide skirts. Both perfume and the silhouette of Dior fashion were unmistakable, instantly recognizable.
Dior left nothing to chance.
Always fascinated by antiquity, he chose the amphora as the form for "Miss Dior", however, he was not the first fashion designer who was enthusiastic about this classic form (see Lucien Lelong 1936 or "Femme" by Rochas 1943).
The amphora recalls forms of the female body, which the couturier knew how to dress so flattering.
The name "Miss Dior" also symbolizes femininity. It was chosen as a tribute by Christian Dior to his sister Catherine, who had been a prisoner of war in Germany and opened a flower shop in Grasse after the war.
In an interview in 1955, Dior said about his first perfume:
"Like alchemists, we searched for the stone of wisdom.... and then Miss Dior was born. The perfume was inspired by evenings in Provence, where fireflies are in the sky and where the green jasmine plays the counterpart to the melody of the night and the earth. Because you know, for a perfume to remain, it must first have dwelt for a long time in the heart of those who invented it."( my translation from French).
And " Miss Dior " today?
It exists as an eau de toilette under the name " L'Originale " and I still feel the fragrance (although carefully reformulated) as perfect and beautiful!
Experiences of beauty are a gift. Only where a perfume is beautiful and not merely functional, I can feel good. With the experience of a fragrance like "Miss Dior"
experiences of the beautiful could settle in my soul.
In the world of perfume, there is always beauty to be discovered. Those who find their way from mere consumption to conscious smelling and feeling can experience a depth dimension that nourishes the soul, true to the motto of Hilde Domin : "We eat the bread, but we live on the shine."
Merci, Christian Dior !
More about Dior and his perfumes in the book:
Christian Dior : Esprit de Parfums
Musée International de la Parfumerie Grasse
Edition Silvana Éditoriale
The clever Christian Dior saw perfume as indispensable for a fashion house and commissioned the perfumer Paul Vacher to develop a first fragrance.
A source of inspiration to" Miss Dior " was, among other things, in Grasse, where Dior had close relatives.
Paul Vacher combined roses, jasmine and gardenias from Grasse with galbanum from Persia and contrasted them with a strong portion of oakmoss and labdanum.
For the presentation of the Dior collection, the entire fashion house on Avenue Montaigne was decorated with flowers and sprayed "Miss Dior."
In the post-war period, the green chypre - accord of "Miss Dior" was a real specialty. The aldehydes used in the composition and the green tones on a slightly animalic base were new in this combination and so completely different from the powdery-heavy perfumes that were popular at the time.
Paul Vacher had, after all, already made a name for himself with "Le Galion" (created in 1936). Dior and Vacher knew the style-defining perfume "Chypre" by Coty from 1917 and were both enthusiastic about the composition. Therefore, they created a modern chypre, younger and fresher than its model by galbanum and gardenia, a perfume for the women who had regained their freedom.
The green chypre became the olfactory reflection of the New Look: houndstooth, narrow waist, gray and white, swinging, wide skirts. Both perfume and the silhouette of Dior fashion were unmistakable, instantly recognizable.
Dior left nothing to chance.
Always fascinated by antiquity, he chose the amphora as the form for "Miss Dior", however, he was not the first fashion designer who was enthusiastic about this classic form (see Lucien Lelong 1936 or "Femme" by Rochas 1943).
The amphora recalls forms of the female body, which the couturier knew how to dress so flattering.
The name "Miss Dior" also symbolizes femininity. It was chosen as a tribute by Christian Dior to his sister Catherine, who had been a prisoner of war in Germany and opened a flower shop in Grasse after the war.
In an interview in 1955, Dior said about his first perfume:
"Like alchemists, we searched for the stone of wisdom.... and then Miss Dior was born. The perfume was inspired by evenings in Provence, where fireflies are in the sky and where the green jasmine plays the counterpart to the melody of the night and the earth. Because you know, for a perfume to remain, it must first have dwelt for a long time in the heart of those who invented it."( my translation from French).
And " Miss Dior " today?
It exists as an eau de toilette under the name " L'Originale " and I still feel the fragrance (although carefully reformulated) as perfect and beautiful!
Experiences of beauty are a gift. Only where a perfume is beautiful and not merely functional, I can feel good. With the experience of a fragrance like "Miss Dior"
experiences of the beautiful could settle in my soul.
In the world of perfume, there is always beauty to be discovered. Those who find their way from mere consumption to conscious smelling and feeling can experience a depth dimension that nourishes the soul, true to the motto of Hilde Domin : "We eat the bread, but we live on the shine."
Merci, Christian Dior !
More about Dior and his perfumes in the book:
Christian Dior : Esprit de Parfums
Musée International de la Parfumerie Grasse
Edition Silvana Éditoriale
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