Christian Dior

King of Fashion, King of Perfumes

Christian Dior was crowned the “Kind of Fashion” in 1947 when he launch his first collection. At this time, Paris was struggling to emerge from the devastation caused by war. Christian Dior gave women a renewed sense of freedom and femininity. To date he has dressed aristocrats, Hollywood's glitterati and the artistic elite. His fragrances too have graced the bodies of these socialites, and continued to be savoured by those who truly know the magic that is Parfums Christian Dior.

The perfume house, Christian Dior Perfumes Ltd was launched on March 4, 1948. The idea, surprisingly was not Dior's, but his good friend Serge Heftler-Louiche's. Dior was on an outing with his godson, Heftler-Louiche's son at Patisserie Penny on Place de la Madeleine. It was on this occasion that Helftler-Louiche, manager of Coty perfumes, decided to approach Dior about breaking into the the perfume industry. Before his godson had finished devouring Penny's famous sticky, coconut pancakes, the deal was closed and a strategic plan laid out. The perfume was named Miss Dior and formulated by the Vacher perfumery. It is said that Dior held the perfume under the nose of every woman he new and apparently they all hated it. Despite the negative feedback, Dior believed in the scent and gave it the 'go-ahead.'

He followed Miss Dior's success with another female fragrance the following year, Diorama. In 1986, Dior released what would become one of its biggest hits, Poison. The famous packaging is instantly recognizable to anyone who knows their perfumes. A pear shaped, amethyst glass bottle with a clear stopper. The box, green and it's pattern reminiscent of snake-like material. And of the unique name, Maurice Roger (former Christian Dior Perfumes president) said “in French we say, Elle est un poison. She's a character.”

In 1994 Dior expanded its Poison range, adding Tendre Poison. Created by Edouard Flechier, it was considered a lighter scent and aimed at a younger market than it predecessor . The mission to build a Poison franchise continued with the release of Pure Poison in 2004 and Pure Poison Exilir in September 2006. Also released in 2006 was Miss Dior Chérie Eau de Toilette and Midnight Charm. More recently, Parfums Christian Dior released Dior Addict 2 Summer Peonies, Dior Homme Cologne, Eau Sauvage Fraicheur Cuir, Farenheit, J'Adore L'Absolu. Many of these, sequels to already available perfumes.

Finding the perfect perfume can be hard, but really, it's all about finding you in that special bottle of scent. With well over 50 perfumes in their range, it's a breeze finding you somewhere in the Parfums Christian Dior range.

Website: http://www.dior.com