FRESH FLOWERS,
ALWAYS
WeekendsawayintheSouthofFrancearewhatsecond-home
dreamsaremadeof,andMonsieurDiorfoundrespiteat Château
deLaColleNoireinGrasse.TheProvençalestatewasanescape
fromPariswherethedesignerindulgedinhisfavouritenostalgic
pastime,gardening.HisfamilyhomeinGranville,onthenorth-
westcoast,wasa bloomingoasisandthroughouthislife,Dior
wasdeeplyinspiredbyflowers.TheMayroseandjasmine,which
comprisetheheartnoteofJOYIntense,flourishedatLaColle
Noire and remainfragrantsymbolsofthehouseofDior today.CELEBRATE
WITH ABANDON
Wehatetostatetheobvioushere,butgoodfood,greatfriends
anda nightofdancingandlaughtercandomoreforthesoul
thananymeditationapp.Whethercelebratingwithchampagne
orthrowingcostumeparties,Diorrevelledinsocialising.“The
notion of partying was of the utmost importance to Dior,”
Bourdeliersays.Hewas,afterall,bornduringtheBelleÉpoque,
and perhaps the decadence rubbed off on the young Dior.Lastyear,Diorlauncheda blockbusterfragrance,JOY, asanode
tothepleasuresinlife,andthisyearthebrandisdoublingdownontheindulgencewiththelatestiteration,JOYIntense.ThebrieftoDior’smaster
perfumer,FrançoisDemachy, wassimply“morejoy”—andintoday’s
manicworld,thatsoundsjustaboutright.Buttheemotionismorethanan
antidotetotoomuchstressandpoliticalunrest,it’sthespiritinherentin
thefashionandbeautyempire;theframeofmindChristianDiorhimself
adopted throughout both the hardships and successes in his life.SEEK SOLACE IN
YOUR TRIBE
BourdeliersaysDiorsurroundedhimselfwith“abandofmerry
men;theywerequirkyandeccentric”.ThelikesofSalvadorDalí,
PabloPicasso,HenriMatisseandMarcChagallbecamehisinner
circle,not onlysharing inthemerriment,but alsobecominga
lifelineforhim.“Whenhefellill,theygatheredthefundstosend
himtoIbizafortreatment,”Bourdeliersays.Andit washisfriends
who encouraged him to pursue drawing professionally. When
Diorneededa Kickstarterof sortstogethisnamesakecoutureline
running,it washismateswhoputthewheelsinmotion.“When
hestartedhishouseofcouture,hisfriendsfundedit andtheypro-
motedit.Theywentthroughalloftheircontactstotrytogetthe
wordoutthere,”Bourdeliersays.“Therewaskindnessandbenev-
olenceinDiorbecausehehadhadthisfromhisfriends.”SET (DON’T FOLLOW)
THE TRENDS
The periodimmediatelyfollowingtheSecondWorldWarsawa
floodofutilitarianfashionforwomen,butDiorinsteadsoughtto
celebrate femininity with his New Look. “It was disruptive,”
Bourdeliersays.Pragmatismwasoutthedoorand,rather,“Diorwas
nostalgicforthegoldenyears”whenextravaganceandglamourwere
celebrated. Hislong skirtsanddresses tailored from richfabrics
symbolisedfreedomfrom thetextilerestrictionsimposedinwar-
time, while his structured shapes andcorsets heraldedwomen’s
returntothehomeafterworkingforthewareffort.Ofcourse,not
everyoneappreciatedthissentiment;manywomenenjoyedthelib-
erationofshorterhemlines,nottomentionthebenefitsofwork.
ButDiorwasunwavering,proudlycreatingshapesanddesignsthat
spoke to him.Hissuccesswasduein largepartto thatauthenticity.CONSIDER FINE
FRAGRANCE A
NON-NEGOTIABLE
WhenDiorlaunchedhiscoutureline,healsocommissioneda fra-
grancetocomplementthecollection.Fromdaydothewasboth
designerandperfumer,interlacingfragranceswiththehouse’sleg-
acy.JOYIntense,thelatestmemberof thestoriedolfactoryfamily,
is a “sensual”addition,Demachysays.A blendofneroliis a new
standoutnote, while Demachysayshe changedthe balanceof
ingredients,addingmorebasenotes—sandalwood,vanillaand
tonka bean — to create a “more enveloping fragrance”. JOY
Intenseis anovertexpressionofthefinerthings.“Perfumeis ulti-
matelya reflectionofourculture;whoweareandwhat’shappen-
ing,”Demachysays.Andif thehistorybooksshowthat 2019 was
a yearofmorejoy,morecelebrationandmoreexcess,we’rehappy
with that. And we’re quite certain Monsieur Dior would be too.“JOYFLOWSTHROUGHTHEVEINSOFTHE
DIORHOUSE,”FrédéricBourdelier,thebrand’shistorian,
muses.Lookingbackthroughthehouse’shistory,wepickedup
a fewnoteworthymantrasfromMonsieurDior,reminding
us that old-fashionedhedonismnevergoes out of style.
Here, his rules for joy.Top:ChristianDiorwith
modelswearinghisdesigns
backstageathisfirstLondon
show,in 1950.Above:the
restoredChâteaudeLaColle
Noirein Grasse,France,which
MonsieurDiorbought in 1951.183 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU September 2019