The Fashionable: Dior Perfume and Cologne

When Jean Cocteau wrote of Christian Dior, he took care to mention that the fashion’s icon name “combines God (Dieu) and Gold (Or),” in a most beautifully serendipitous way. Cocteau, however, was obviously not familiar with this history of the Dior name, as its magical quality would have swiftly been replaced with irony. Before the name became synonymous with high fashion and luxury, it was actually associated with a relatively profitable fertilizer company (before it went bankrupt, anyway).

It would take many years for the Dior name to become synonymous with high fashion and quality perfume and cologne. The man made his way to the top by starting off as a sketch artist for women’s magazines, then as a pattern designer. While World War II would interrupt his ascension, it also served to be a blessing in disguise. When he finally opened a fashion house in 1946, he rose to prominence across the world for designing dresses that sharply contrasted the wartime styles everyone was used to; fabric was no longer something to be rationed in the eyes of Christian Dior.

The man was not simply interested in dresses, however. He was well aware of the importance of a fragrance for any complete outfit, calling it a “finishing touch.” With the launch of Dior’s first line came “Miss Dior,” a revolutionary fragrance mixing chypre and green floral accords. Following the tradition of less-is-not-an-option, Christian bottled his perfume in the best of materials (following an ancient tradition at the same time) that included crystal, gold, and quilted packaging. The war was over and it was time for the world to live in luxury once more, in a way that only French perfume could.

Adding to the feeling of elegance associated with his womens perfume (now including Diorama, Eau Fraîche and Diorissimo along with Miss Dior), the fashion legend made sure that people would have to go to the finest of locations to buy Dior perfumes: elegant hotels, luxury stores, etc. The man’s strategy was sound, because he instantly became a success, so much so that he considered himself “as much a perfumer as a fashion designer.”

The Dior brand would later include fragrance’s built for men with the introduction of Eau Sauvage in 1960, a fragrance that would be considered a perfume cologne for men or perfume for women, equally. Since then, Dior perfume and cologne has been a favorite amongst sophisticated socialites everywhere. Today, Dior J’adore, Dior Hypnotic Poison, Dior Miss Dior Cherie, Dior Midnight Poison. Dior Pure Poison, Dior Addict, and Dior Fahrenheit are some of its most popular brands in a long line of popular perfume and cologne.