Inside the dream Dior (2023)

[bunniefuu]

[magnificent music]

- [Charlize in English] Nice to meet you!

- [Francis] Me too. I'm very honored.

Yes!

- Thank you for your time.

- Thank you.

It's so nice to finally meet you.

I always just hear about you.

Now, I have a face.

Now, we have a face. And now, I feel...

I'm getting younger because

the first time I saw you in the Dior...

in the famous Dior

apartment advertising.

I think it was very audacious.

Yeah.

It was unique.

I still have it in my mind.

Oh, that's really nice.

Thank you so much.

- I brought a few things from Paris.

- Amazing.

- Of course, what I've just created.

- Wow.

- First...

- [Charlize] I haven't smelled it.

- I know. And I have a question.

- Yes?

Do you have a feeling of what

this new fragrance could smell like?

I would say something

very clean and simple.

So, this is the one you may know.

This is the eau de parfum.

It smells like home. I know this one.

[laughter]

So now, this is the... drum roll...

Wait, so this is it? I'm so excited.

So this is it!

Yay! This is so special

that I get to smell this with you.

Merci beaucoup. Thank you.

It's very special to me as well

as you can imagine.

[intense music]

- Oh, my gosh. It's so...

- [music fades]

[upbeat music]

PARIS, FRANCE

1 YEAR EARLIER

[Francis in French] I like mornings.

It is my moment where I feel fresh,

my mind is clear.

Everything flows.

There is no traffic in Paris.

It's peaceful.

Even at the office, there are no meetings.

I could work from home,

but I like going to the office.

[music continues]

I am Francis Kurkdjian, perfumer

and Perfume Creation Director

at Parfums Christian Dior.

I grew up in Seine-Saint-Denis,

outside of Paris.

I discovered the perfumer

profession aged 14.

The job of a perfumer is

to combine ingredients,

side by side, in an aesthetic balance

that corresponds

to the idea in your mind.

[music fades]

[sighs] I am working on a fragrance

that is coming out in September and...

I changed tack along the way.

A new idea came to light

and I have to make some progress.

[reflective music]

Since arriving at the House of Dior,

my first major challenge

is to reinvent J'adore.

It does make my head spin.

It is Dior's iconic fragrance,

a composition that is...

unsurpassed to date.

Am I able to do better? I don't know.

I have 30 years of experience.

My career started

straight out of school, in 1995,

with the creation of Le Mle

by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

I was only 25.

It catapulted me

straight into the big league.

Throughout my career,

I have worked for several brands,

Burberry, Saint Laurent,

Guerlain, Armani, Dior,

and even founded my own label.

In 2021, I was contacted

about being part of the House of Dior.

From that moment on,

the idea of joining Dior never left me.

It was something very profound

and almost essential to my life.

I didn't want to be at Dior.

I desired it. That is different.

[radio host] From the Eiffel Tower

to the Champs-Elyses,

Avenue Montaigne is lined

with cars from all around,

bringing elegance from around the world

to its leafy shade.

They come to entrust

the art of styling

to the man who has become

their most precious ally.

For these women, his name

embodies all the prestige

of French haute couture,

Christian Dior.

In the spring of 1947, when Christian Dior

launched his Corolle collection,

christened "New Look" by America,

there was talk of revolution.

Women were rediscovering

truly feminine forms.

[Frdric] From the moment,

the House of Dior was created in 1947,

Dior swept everyone aside.

FIRST CHRISTIAN DIOR FASHION SHOW

[intense upbeat music]

We can consider February 12, 1947,

the first Christian Dior fashion show,

as a key date in fashion history.

Nothing would ever be the same.

[silence]

[Frdric] The years of w*r

and depression were left behind.

Christian Dior said to women,

"Put yourself in the spotlight.

Be fabulous. Be feminine."

You can really see the New Look figure,

the Corolle line.

Glamor, style,

elegance, sophistication.

His dream was to dress women

from head to toe.

He also said that perfume

was the final touch to an outfit,

the finishing touch.

He did not wait

for Dior's reputation to take root

after three, five, ten years,

as is often the case.

From the very first year,

he wanted to create a fragrance.

So, in our innermost, darkest depths,

I would suggest

looking at some fairly old articles,

from the 1947 to 1950 period.

[Francis] What's this? It's Diorama.

That's Roudnitska as well.

[both] It's from 1949.

[Francis] Wait for it. Drum roll...

- Suspense. Thank you.

- It smells like Aunt Franoise.

In my family environment,

there is a special person

whom I call Aunt Franoise,

who is a close friend of my mother

and worked for Christian Dior

from 1955 to 1959.

She was a pattern maker

in the pattern workshop,

and so, from a young age, I grew up

around Franoise's stories

about Monsieur Dior.

Like a children's book.

Mr. Dior drives a car,

Mr. Dior takes the elevator,

Mr. Dior perfumes the floors

of Avenue Montaigne with Diorissimo.

And almost 30 or even 40 years later,

when the chance

to work at Dior presented itself,

the first person I called, since my mother

has passed away, was Franoise.

Beautiful. There's a harmony

with Diorella later on.

It is kind of the pinnacle

of femininity in the 1940s,

and today, when you smell

these kinds of notes,

it could actually

be completely genderless.

It could almost be masculine.

I had an idea of what Dior was like,

but from the inside,

it is completely different.

Since coming here,

I have immersed myself in this house,

its founder,

what he said, what he wrote...

This is a letter.

[Frdric]

It refers to a perfume, which I believe

has nothing to do with Diorissimo.

Maybe it was never made.

Is this the only letter we have?

I am trying to get inside his mind.

1947 to 1957.

He died aged 52,

and everything he had built,

he did it in ten years.

It's impressive. It's immense.

It is a very special journey,

very special indeed.

But Diorama is magnificent.

My role as creation director is to try

to bring this past back to life

without being old-fashioned.

From 1947, from 1950,

Christian Dior chose

the amphora as the shape.

Indeed, it is similar

to the New Look style.

With J'adore, maybe the amphora

is flipped to become a droplet.

Today, when you look

at the stylistic elements of J'adore,

you realize that it is close

to Christian Dior's original message.

A message of enthusiasm, optimism,

and a departure from the 1990 era,

which was quite cold,

somber and minimalist.

This offers something quite extravagant.

- [Frdric] We have this too.

- What is it?

[Frdric] It is the storyboard

by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and his team.

The golden pool.

We're in a kind of sacred temple.

And a divine being walks out

of the golden pool.

I think that will surprise people.

[Francis] Yes, with the foot like that...

[magnificent music]

[Mondino] No hair, no makeup,

no stylist, little lighting.

I put others in the spotlight.

I don't want to be center stage.

I prefer the shadows.

Everything is iconic with J'adore.

In 1999, I was presented

with this golden bottle.

The necklace is like a Maasai necklace.

There was gold everywhere you looked.

It was so removed

from the norm at that time.

I thought about the liquid, the gold...

How about a pool of gold?

I didn't think it would work at all.

But it turns out that it did.

The rocket had been launched.

[Charlize in English] One of the first

campaigns I did with Mondino was

kind of an elimination of gold

and saying that let's not celebrate gold

in this way where it's a god.

It's just gold. It's just metal.

There is gold in all of us,

meaning we're all special.

[Mondino in French]

Her presence, her blondness,

her power, that Amazonian quality,

the idea that she comes home

and abuses this luxury,

the necklace, the clothes, the shoes,

to finally feel good.

She is a woman of action

who is starting to make demands,

who doesn't need a man,

who doesn't need a car,

and who is not playing a character.

She is becoming a guide.

[in English]

The J'adore woman is always in movement.

She's always moving

and kind of has this feeling of,

like, moving forward.

I think deep down inside,

people relate to the authenticity.

And I think that's why J'adore

has been so successful.

[in French] With the bottle, Charlize,

the name, the fragrance and the adverts,

all the iconic ingredients are there.

And there you have it.

After 20 years, it is enshrined forever.

J'adore will outlast us.

Don't worry. You may all die,

but J'adore will always be there.

[laughs] Don't put that in!

[music stopped, city sounds]

[Francis] Retouching such an icon is

a huge responsibility.

I clearly have

an obligation to achieve results.

The first thing I want to

and, in fact, must do

is to visit Calice Becker and talk to her.

She composed J'adore in 1999.

We've known each other for 20 years.

We worked together,

side by side, in New York,

when she was working

on this project for J'adore.

It was a competition open

to the greatest perfumers of the time.

This is everything

that I didn't throw away.

I don't have all the drafts.

Amaranth wood, Damascus plum.

I remember.

We had discussed it in New York.

[Francis]

Calice Becker achieved the unthinkable.

MASTER PERFUMER

This is the complete formula,

fully annotated

with all the qualities you can...

I clearly remember the commotion

it caused at the factory.

The formula had to be repatriated...

It fits on three pages.

As I was creating J'adore,

when I started combining the flowers,

essentially white flowers,

it came to me like an apparition,

and it was jasmine sambac,

as with the lily of the valley

and the honeysuckle,

I had all the notes

that fitted with the jasmine.

It became obvious.

So, I pushed the jasmine sambac

to create this floral diffusion

that can be savored

from a great distance.

[Calice] Look at what I found.

Is it...?

I don't know if they...

And look at what is written.

This is "the complete concentrate,

finished using materials from Dior."

- You recognize it.

- Look.

- That's crazy.

- J'adore focuses...

- You recognize it.

- Absolutely.

[emotional music]

It is interesting

to delve into the archives...

Your archives, not Dior's,

but it is Dior's history, in a way.

I think it was important

because I feel obliged to do it well.

I can't wait to see what you come up with

and what you will do

with the story of J'adore.

Above all, I remember that in 1999,

jasmine sambac was the making

of J'adore and vice versa.

MADURAI, INDIA

[indian music]

[honking]

I've been looking forward

to this trip because India

is a perfumery hub

in terms of raw materials.

It is a palette of natural products

that are very important to perfumery.

[hubbub]

[hubbub]

- [in English] 90% of sambac goes there.

- In the hair.

[Raja]

It's used in temples and stuff like that.

Between 3% and 5% is what is used

in the fragrance industry.

So, most of the usage

of the flowers is domestic.

When Dior launched J'adore,

sambac became very popular.

And since then,

sambac's outlook as an ingredient

in the fragrance industry

has completely changed.

Sambac is the new hero.

[crowd chatting]

Madurai is probably a synonym to sambac.

The quality of the flowers

that come from this city, Madurai,

and its surroundings

is so special because of its soil

and the climatic conditions

that no other sambac

that is grown anywhere else

can be claimed as Madurai Malli.

[engine roar]

[indian music]

[birds twittering]

[Raja] We are about 40 kilometers

south of Madurai,

closer to the city called Dindigul,

where this is the main sambac growing bed.

The picking is done as buds,

and it starts

at six o'clock in the morning

and goes on till 11 or 12

in the afternoon.

[engine roar]

[music stops]

[birds twittering]

[Francis in French]

Have you ever smelled a banana flower?

It smells really good.

[in English] Hello. Good morning.

Oh, cutie!

I'm not cute when I wake up,

but you are cute.

Hi. Her name is Ria.

- Ria.

- [Francis] Ria?

Oh, too many people today.

Oh, dear!

[in French] So, this is sambac.

[rooster crows]

Very stiff and green.

You know, it's a bit...

Frdrique.

It smells a bit like methyl benzoate.

[indistinct chatting]

It is my first trip

with Frdrique Lecoeur,

a trained perfumer.

We met 25 years ago.

Her main role is to ensure

that the formulae are followed

and to help me search the world and find

the finest raw materials

for our fragrances.

It goes with the ethereal

bouquet of J'adore.

[Francis] We have Jasminum grandiflorum

and Jasminum sambac.

Sambac doesn't grow in Grasse.

It is from India.

To get the chance

to have them both together

is a real joy.

In some contexts, I'll like the sambac.

In others, it's the grandiflorum.

There are two or three

essential fruity facets

that do not exist in other flowers.

My idea for L'Or de J'adore is...

to look for...

To look for something

not found in J'adore,

the...

This skin, this flesh, this...

fullness.

It's silky and buttery.

When Charlize says

that in the end, there is no gold,

in that iconic advert

where she throws off her clothes,

and what remains is J'adore, the skin.

That is what remains. Skin and perfume.

What else do you need in life?

Do you get the mango?

Mango? I was thinking

of a simple strawberry.

Dried mango or candied.

Candied, yes, candied fruit.

It makes me want to eat it.

It is almost physical.

You know the scent,

but forget the material.

You forget where it comes from,

how it is grown and by whom.

Sometimes, these little reminders

can be just the thing

to retrace their origins.

[birds twittering]

[indian music]

[Francis] My visits to markets

or through the streets,

for me, always conjure up a memory

I had as a young man

who wanted to become a perfumer.

You take two steps and you get spices.

Turn your head and you get flowers.

[hubbub]

You turn left

and get the scent of curry and cumin.

The abundance of it is so exciting.

In India, all your senses are intensified.

[indian music]

[intense music]

[Francis] Here's the rose...

which is in the wrong place.

- Should I?

- [Francis] Go ahead.

CREATION ASSISTANLet's smell it.

I develop the first formula

and set out ideas.

Then, with Maa,

it's like a game of table tennis.

So, from memory,

there must be something

that is slightly floral.

- Mahonial. We'll do it in the next blend.

- Yes, but...

Something that...

[indistinct whispering]

"The rose should be

dosed differently. It feels old."

[Francis] It is extremely precise work.

It comes down to a thousandth of a gram.

You need dozens of trials

before finding the perfect proportions.

[peaceful music]

Today, I'm a bit stressed.

I'm presenting my first Dior creation

to Vronique, Sana and Kevin.

No, I know why. Wait, 0.6...

So, it's... It's tense.

It is Francis' first time

working on a Dior fragrance.

It is a monumental fragrance

that rocked the perfume world in the 2000s

and made its mark on the century.

It is a moment of extreme vulnerability.

I had very little time

to finalize this version.

Of course it puts pressure on me.

I have worn J'adore since it was launched.

And I'm here with this wild hope

of falling in love all over again

with my new version of J'adore.

[intense music]

And now, J'adore!

And now, J'adore.

Did the brief inspire you?

The brief? I loved it.

[laughter]

I always say it,

and I'll say it again, but it is true.

The most beautiful, simple stories

have the most impact.

That's what makes great perfume.

The idea of liquid gold,

the essence of gold, heating gold

in a formula where L'Or de J'adore

has the flowers of J'adore...

It is all easy to explain.

When it is easy to explain,

it is easy to translate.

The aim is to restore a floral shape

that is slightly more pronounced.

I used the original curve.

My vision for this fragrance is...

If I had to heat the formula,

what would be the ingredients

that aren't needed

to tell the story of J'adore

in a more condensed way?

[Vronique] I can tell that you have

steered away from certain ingredients.

You know? There is less

of a vanilla base than before.

I find the top notes quite delicious.

Today, are you...?

In the body,

is it possible that we're getting

a bit too much eau de parfum?

What do you think, Kevin?

It is very true to the eau de parfum.

I think it is almost

the quintessential eau de parfum.

[Sana] It's almost the purified version.

It has a very syrupy aspect,

a floral syrup.

It fits perfectly

in the world of J'adore.

It is like you said, Kevin.

For me, it is quintessential. It has a...

a purist take on the eau de parfum.

Perhaps it is lacking a certain something

that could go even further than that,

probably something

in the initial notes, you know?

Maybe a gold that is

more powerful, more intense.

- Dazzling.

- Dazzling with a step to the side.

Something more ostentatious

than the eau de parfum.

- Okay.

- Okay?

The idea is that J'adore

heats up on the skin.

Maybe it could be related to that.

Go on! Let go! Push harder, right?

- [Francis] In any case, you'll wear them.

- We'll wear them and let you know.

I am really happy with this first step

because you could have been way off.

[Sana] This meets the brief.

I know you hate it

when we're all happy, but...

[Francis] I find it suspicious.

[laughter]

[Vronique] We have a perfect score,

so I am thrilled

because it's the right direction.

I want him to go even further.

J'adore is daring to let go.

Although it went well,

I am not happy.

I know that they like it, but deep down,

I feel like I'm not on the right track.

Something isn't right.

[reflective music]

The idea presented to me at the start

was the quest of pure gold.

Molten gold, so the impurities evaporate.

I think I have to push

that idea even further.

I need to tweak the formula

and be a bit more daring.

When I am doubting myself,

generally speaking,

I leave it for a few days.

I try to empty my mind.

MONTAUROUX, GRASSE REGION, FRANCE

CHTEAU DE LA COLLE NOIRE

[pastoral music]

To compose a fragrance, I need silence.

I need peace and tranquility.

These are the gardens of La Colle Noire,

Christian Dior's second home.

This is where he came to unwind.

[birds twittering]

It's like being behind the scenes

of Avenue Montaigne.

He was a man who loved nature.

He is viewed as a Parisian,

he was Paris and fashion,

but he was deeply attached to nature,

to flowers, to plants.

There were actual plantations

of jasmine and roses.

There were hectares of them,

not just a few beds.

For me, he was Dior in Paris

and Christian at La Colle Noire.

Monsieur's guest book.

August 8, 1956,

with signatures from the likes of Chagall,

Catherine Dior, his sister,

Bernard Buffet, of course.

It is fairly impressive.

June 13, June 15.

Clearly, Bernard Buffet

was a regular visitor.

On his desk,

you can see the cover of Time.

Back then, it was unheard of

for Time to put a dressmaker on the cover.

I like his phone.

It has two saved numbers.

His sister and the office.

To imagine him still alive

and to feel his presence,

for me, is actually very important.

Sometimes, I talk to him.

It's a dialogue.

It's almost like I'm asking him

if he is proud of me.

It sounds totally insane, I know.

J'adore is Dior

in an exaggerated femininity

and an accomplished femininity.

Maybe we need to restore its density,

something plump, voluptuous.

Something more carnal, more addictive.

[music fades]

PARIS, FRANCE

NIGHT BEFORE THE DIOR FASHION SHOW

[magnificent music]

[hubbub]

And I think all the people are very happy

to see you with this jacket and this.

It's like so comfortable.

All of this is so comfortable.

I love it. I'm so excited for tomorrow.

I have not been to a show...

Yes, I know. I'm really...

...in 8 years or something.

It's been so long.

[hubbub]

- You want to sit?

- Yes, absolutely.

[indistinct chattering]

You're inspired by young people, right?

Absolutely. I travel

all the time with my team.

[intense music]

- Focus. Focus.

- I'm sorry!

Oh, wow. Look at this.

It's very nice.

Oh, wow.

- It's a pearl?

- Yes.

[indistinct chattering]

Oh, my God. This is amazing too.

- Beautiful.

- Thank you.

Incredible. Wow. So amazing.

I feel honored that Charlize Theron

appreciates my clothes

because she is a woman

who doesn't just represent an icon

as an actress, but also as an individual.

Her strength, her independence

and her incredible talent.

There's no need to recount

Charlize's career

to prove

the strength she embodies.

[soft music]

PARIS, FRANCE

JARDIN DES TUILERIES, DIOR FASHION SHOW

[upbeat music]

[Francis] Inspiration is very personal.

As a perfumer, anything can be inspiring.

In a house like Dior,

fashion is, of course, one source.

My passion for fragrance comes

from my love of fashion,

and more precisely,

the craftsmanship behind the fashion.

I grew up around it.

My grandfather was a tailor.

My mother sewed beautifully.

I remember the rolls of fabric.

I can spend hours in a studio

watching people work,

needlework as my grandparents called it.

I wanted to be a designer,

but since I can't draw,

I decided that being

a perfumer for a designer

would definitely be

a way into this profession

that I admire so much.

It is a twist of fate.

[paparazzi chatting]

[in English]

I'm a very, very big fan of Maria Grazia.

I find her to be

a phenomenal talent, artist, woman.

She's such an incredible

spirit to be around.

So, to be able to share

some of what has inspired her

through art and clothes,

to share that with her

today is really exciting.

Thank you so much.

[magnificent music]

[speaks in Mandarin]

[the pace picks up]

[Francis in French]

Shows are always magical.

And what I'm drawn to

when I look at Maria Grazia's work

is the way she uses lines.

The line of a garment,

when I transpose it into perfume,

is almost an olfactory family.

It can be reinterpreted infinitely.

PARIS, FRANCE

HAUTE COUTURE STUDIO

[magnificent music]

[Hongbo] This is the House of Dior

haute couture studio.

We're currently working

on a design by Maria Grazia.

Charlize Theron will wear this dress

for the next J'adore campaign.

Here, you have more detail

with the draping.

Braids around the neckline

and parts of the dress will be

braided into the neckline.

It's quite Grecian.

[in Italian] The first thing that

characterizes a person is their perfume.

The fragrance changes

depending on the skin,

just like clothing characterizes

the person wearing it.

For Charlize, I really enjoyed

combining those two elements.

[in English] Hello.

[in French] Welcome to Dior.

XIN LIU, SINGER,

BRAND AMBASSADOR

- [in English] My pleasure as well.

- This is my album "Xanadu".

Thank you.

[Francis in French] Today, I'm meeting

Xin Liu, our ambassador.

Please follow me to the laboratory.

This is Mariana, Cristina, Andrei.

They are perfumer assistants.

[in Mandarin]

Today is my first time meeting a perfumer

and understanding each stage

of composing a fragrance.

I've been looking forward to it.

[in French]

I will show you how I work.

The project I'm currently working on

is to create a formula

that is as accomplished as possible and...

I want to say as powerful as possible.

It is like you taking

a piece of music that a singer

created 25 years ago

and you have to imagine

or you are entrusted

to create a modern version.

[in Mandarin] Like in music,

you create harmonies

with the elements you blend?

[in French] This is called a formula.

It is like a piece of music.

Each name here is

the name of an ingredient.

Each ingredient corresponds

to a value, a weight.

Like in music, notes have a duration.

For this project, this is the first draft,

like the first version of a song.

It is the initial inspiration.

And now, I'm at 74, 75, 76.

So, I have already done

about 70 different versions

or corrections of the same fragrance.

[Xin Liu in Mandarin] My first contact

with scent was near my school.

I spent a lot of time there

and there was a very sweet scent.

At that time,

maybe because I had a sweet tooth,

I was more sensitive to sweet scents,

so, when I was younger,

I liked the fruitier notes.

[Francis in French]

I'm going to ask you to smell

the same flower from two different places.

You need several thousand flowers...

For a single drop,

you need several thousand flowers.

[magnificent music]

[Carole] When you're in Grasse,

you have something extra in your DNA,

the DNA of flowers.

In our families, through the generations,

many were producers

or worked in perfume factories.

It is three centuries of history.

The foundations of perfumery are built on

a flower's quality,

such as rose, jasmine,

tuberose, orange blossom,

which are extraordinary here.

That is how the story begins.

[Armelle] Look, your 450 kilos are

on their way. Isn't this plot amazing?

- [Francis] It's a beautiful plot.

- [Armelle] Beautiful, right?

[Armelle] This plot is three years old.

It is still young.

It is off to a really great start.

It is very consistent.

[Francis] So good.

A few days ago, they smelled like lemons

and geraniol, but really strongly.

And now, boom, it has changed

to notes of talcum powder.

Don't you think?

[Francis] I think they have lost

some of their spicier notes.

Picking roses is not

something I had experience with.

I think it is important, being at Dior,

to experience this initiation.

As if I needed to woo the flowers too

to make them reveal their final secret.

[Armelle] The partnership with Dior

is not important. It is essential.

Not just for me,

but for the region as a whole.

The idea is that everyone contributes

their best qualities.

Dior has the means

and we have know-how,

expertise and experience.

If a house like Dior had no need

for products like these,

we would disappear, pure and simple.

[Pascal] The flowers look like this

when we gather them.

We use the foosball technique.

You take it and break it.

In 2016, Parfums Christian Dior

were looking for producers

for fragrant plants,

so we put ourselves forward

to work with them.

We had to find some of the veterans

to teach the young ones

and redevelop an industry

that was disappearing.

Here, on the plantations,

we don't use any chemicals.

I think the fewer the products,

the better we feel.

I like doing this.

It's lovely to see them open up.

This is the baby centifolia.

[Carole] As a producer,

we are concerned about scent.

The flowers have to be picked

at exactly the right moment,

when they are the most fragrant.

We take great care

in respecting the raw material

and delivering it promptly

to avoid maceration or oxidation.

When I arrive at the factory,

I want them to be

the most beautiful, fragrant and intense.

[engine roar]

[magnificent music builds up slowly]

Shall we put them there?

[Carole] The fragrant flowers,

plants and natural ingredients

have to go through an industrial process

to extract the scent

from the fragrant body.

The aim is to capture

all the scent molecules

found in all of these flowers.

This process results

in the creation of a substance

known as the absolute essential oil.

Past generations described it as absolute

because it captures

the very spirit of the flower.

Today, we simply call it the absolute.

All of these techniques,

these skills, this expertise,

which can't be studied in books

and are typical to Grasse,

were part of something

that very nearly disappeared.

It's a story of the heart,

a story of heart and soul.

[music slowly fades]

- [Francis] Mariana?

- [Mariana] Yes.

Tell me. Can you make me blend 11,

the latest one, fresh,

and number 12, okay?

For the solution, make it at 20%.

And if we have Jasmodione,

I'd like to get another smell.

I'd like them... pure.

Thank you.

[reflective music]

[Francis] When I don't get what I want,

there are two solutions.

Either I started off on the wrong foot

or it has been badly translated.

It has to be good, but, well...

There is a sense

of frustration to not get...

It's all there, the name, everything.

Everything, but the main event.

[Herve] In 1997,

I was selected to design

the shape of the bottle

because I designed jewelry and items

that were precious, feminine,

and golden.

I am not a fragrance specialist.

When I was asked to design the bottle,

my initial inspiration

came from the forms of John Galliano,

sinuous and elongated

with extremely long necks.

For me, it was only natural

to design a bottle in harmony

with these extremely feminine forms.

I tried putting the name on the bottle,

putting it in gold, in relief, everything,

but it ruined the shape

and made it seem ordinary.

We came up with the idea of putting

the name under the crystal droplet,

like a hallmark on a piece of jewelry

or a precious object.

That was revolutionary.

The bottle is alive.

As long as we keep this shape,

which is precise

and both restricted and generous,

it remains extremely modern.

Therefore,

this bottle can live several lives.

PACKAGING DESIGN STUDIO

[soft music]

[Rozenn] The gold will feature

on the upper part.

Technically, it might give it more purity.

[woman] Something smoother.

The way you read the current J'adore,

it is a droplet,

a necklace and pearl on top.

Here, I get the impression

that you want a monolith.

[man] Exactly. There are no more levels.

It is a single unit.

[Rozenn] You want a smooth curve.

- Yes. Stripped down, purified.

- I see. That's interesting.

It could be interesting to move away

from the traditional ore.

Exactly. The necklace

with fewer details and...

And we'll see

if we end up leaving it smooth.

- Here, you...

- [Rozenn] You want a little vibration,

just to simulate the necklace

with a slight deflection,

but not too much,

so it is just a suggestion,

without being too ornamental.

I think we need to purify the bottle

as much as possible,

in terms of J'adore's story. Okay.

[soft beat]

TOKYO, JAPAN

I'm invited to the 500th anniversary

of the Kd ceremony in Japan.

[intense music]

For me, Japan encapsulates the dialogue

between tradition and modernity.

In my current process,

modernity means simplifying things

as much as possible.

It is an obsession.

So, this invitation came

at exactly the right time.

The Kd ceremony is a Kyoto tradition.

Kd means "the way of fragrance."

When the Japanese say,

"Listen to the fragrance,"

it goes beyond the scent.

It's about feeling the fragrance.

Without doubt, with J'adore,

the aim is to capture that idea.

A kd session keeps me grounded.

It forces me into myself

to stop me from moving too fast.

[in Japanese] The art of kd

began here, 500 years ago,

at the Ginkaku-ji temple, in Kyoto.

In the art of kd,

we smell koboku, natural wood incense

gathered in southeast Asia,

including Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Using the ashes, a small mound is formed

on which lines are traced

representing the five elements,

wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

The wood incense is placed

on top of the mound

and is held with the palm of the hand,

guiding the fragrance into the nose.

The fragrance is inhaled

deep into the heart.

Rich in natural essences,

it lifts our spirits.

I am sure that Francis feels something

when he "listens"

to the fragrance of incense.

[Francis in French]

It takes absolute concentration

to ensure that every gesture is perfect,

using as little energy as possible.

And to feel it, experience it,

in terms of where I am now, for me,

is very important for the J'adore project.

[peaceful music]

After days and weeks of work,

certainties, doubts, renouncements,

I think we have succeeded.

Can you make up a solution, just a vial,

5ml, please? Thank you.

This new version is clear and evident,

but different from my last offering

that was very well received.

But, well, I think you have to

follow through on your ideas

and convictions.

I hope they join me

on this new interpretation.

There's a great quote from Monsieur Dior

that is in my office. It says,

"Respect tradition and dare to be bold."

And that is what I'm trying to do today.

Francis wanted to take some space

between the two olfactory sessions.

It's been a while now.

He went to Japan.

He must have cleared his mind

and seen things,

so my expectations are high.

I know this will shake things up.

I'm aware.

But with this new proposition,

I am utterly convinced.

There is a different way

of envisaging the story of J'adore

and that's what I've brought.

I have a new proposition

that I have called "I Love Gold."

The quest for gold,

the evaporation of impurities,

it is all part of the same story.

It is just another way

of articulating the formula

and restoring that fullness, right?

Rounded, solar and feminine qualities,

but not passive femininity,

something very bold.

That is the basic concept.

[Sana] Thank you.

[Vronique] Uh-uh...

[Francis] You have Dior's key flowers,

jasmine and rose.

- [Sana] It is more rounded.

- It is more rounded because...

I actually reduced the more...

classic floral notes

- from the original.

- Slightly drier, powdery.

Drier and powdery, exactly.

It is almost like

the aldehydes of the 1970s.

[Vronique] It is...

There is such a big difference.

Actually, I was bothered

by this slightly opaque note.

It was matte, like brushed gold.

I wanted something

more dazzling, more luminous.

I think your trace is certainly there.

- Now, we just have to...

- A signature.

I think that the fruity aspect

gives it a sense of brightness,

joy and youthfulness.

I almost feel ashamed

because with the last one,

I was already pretty happy.

- But now...

- [Sana] I was too.

You know, this was a big step, so...

- [Kevin] I am convinced.

- This is...

Something totally evident.

[Francis] Yes, it is easier

to understand. It's less...

It is very direct.

[Sana] It smells good in every sense

of the word, I'd say.

We are very much in agreement.

Yes, let's go.

I didn't think we'd say that

given how much I liked the last one.

It is a magical moment.

Any doubts I might have had vanished,

and I'm relieved because it was

a blank page, this story with Dior.

[Vronique] Decision made!

Bravo!

It's quite exhilarating.

I am happy, truly.

Because when you approve

a new olfactive composition,

you're approving part of Dior's history.

It is brilliant for us.

[intense music]

Seeing your fragrance suddenly

come to life on the production lines

is a very special feeling.

It is amazing

and a huge moment. It's all there.

The fragrance lives.

Every new fragrance

is a massive celebration

of the spirit of the House of Dior

and of Christian Dior.

So I wanted to thank you from the heart.

Thank you and thanks for your time.

[applause]

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

- [Charlize] So this is it? I'm so excited.

- [Francis] This is it.

Yay.

This is so special

that I get to smell this with you.

Merci beaucoup. Thank you.

It's very special to me

as well as you can imagine.

Oh, my gosh. It's so...

Delicious.

Wow.

A much more complex floral scent.

So good.

Really is so good.

Oh, wow.

Well, you made me so happy today.

Thank you so much

for coming and meeting me.

And I love it.

It's really... L'Or is amazing.

- We'll see how it feels on your skin.

- It's beautiful.

Maybe after the eau de parfum.

Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- So nice to meet you.

Thank you.

[peaceful music]

LA, CALIFORNIA

FITTING FOR AD CAMPAIGN

Hongbo, you've made

so many dresses for me. I am so lucky.

This is my honor. I'm so lucky too.

So pretty.

- Very delicate.

- Yes. Like me.

Of course.

Always.

You feel good?

Yes. I love it.

- You ready?

- Yeah.

Okay. Are you going to help me?

Don't let me fall.

[laughter]

[peaceful music]

PARIS, FRANCE

LAUNCH DAY

[Vronique] Monsieur Dior

was always close to artists.

For us, it is part

of our mission to continue

this house's special connection

to the art world.

We wanted

Jean-Michel Othoniel to take on

this magnificent J'adore

with an exceptional limited edition.

[shout]

[Jean-Michel] As a sculptor,

I am better known

for monumental outdoor pieces.

The thing I love about this

is reducing a sculpture

to a more intimate scale.

I wanted the piece to be

close to the fragrance,

meaning it sits like a necklace

that takes the shape of a rose

that is set on the bottle like a jewel.

[thrilling music]

It is not just a fragrance;

it is a work of art.

[Francis] A fragrance launch doesn't

make me nervous.

It is more than that.

Did I get the job done?

Will people like it?

Will women feel beautiful wearing it?

Will it...? A creator is never satisfied.

But it's fine. It's part of the package.

After 30 years, you live with it.

[Vronique]

It is an emotional moment for me

because I think about every person

who has played a part, of course,

Francis, first and foremost,

but all of the helping hands,

everyone behind the scenes

who carries this fragrance

and who will make this launch a success.

For that, I am

extremely proud of this team.

It is a feeling

that is impossible to describe.

It is the culmination of weeks of work

and suddenly, the fragrance comes alive.

It now belongs

to all those who will wear it.

How are you? Good to see you.

[music builds up]

[music fades]

[bass sound]

PARIS, FRANCE

A FEW DAYS LATER

[soft piano music]

[Francis] Months ago, at the archives,

I came across a letter

from August 23, 1950.

This is a letter.

It refers to a perfume

that was maybe never made.

Is this the only letter we have?

The surprising and amazing thing

about this letter

is that Christian Dior mentions

a fragrance that he desires,

a dream fragrance.

He lists the main ingredients.

Three notes. I won't say any more.

Looking through the archives,

there is no fragrance

that uses those three notes.

- After Diorama, it's...?

- [Frdric] Eau Frache.

- Very different.

- Five or six years later.

Then it's Diorissimo.

This letter is insane, totally insane.

It drives me crazy.

But it has an emotional power

that completely transcends me.

It overwhelms me too, it...

It is Dior's testament.

This letter is Monsieur Dior's dream.

My dream is to make it a reality.

[soft upbeat music]