EXCUSE ME, MISS

Dior’s international fragrance training manager Cendrine Fournier tells us more about the brand’s iconic Miss Dior scent.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

"Dior’s international fragrance training manager Cendrine Fournier tells us more about the brand’s iconic Miss Dior scent."

The stars of the Miss Dior line: (clockwise from above) Dior Miss Dior Le Parfum, $164, Dior Miss Dior EDP, $236, Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, $232, and Dior Miss Dior EDT, $190.
The stars of the Miss Dior line: (clockwise from above) Dior Miss Dior Le Parfum, $164, Dior Miss Dior EDP, $236, Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, $232, and Dior Miss Dior EDT, $190.

WHO IS THE ORIGINAL MISS DIOR?
Catherine Dior, Christian Dior’s younger sister, is the inspiration behind the Miss Dior name. “She was quite audacious and had strong convictions, which ties in with the Miss Dior story the brand communicates in its campaigns,” says Cendrine. “During the war, she was part of the French resistance – she had a lot of personality.”

MISS DIOR WAS THE BRAND’S FIRST FRAGRANCE.
Launched in 1947, the original Miss Dior fragrance was described as an elegant green chypre. “Chypre fragrances are made of a composition of citrus fruits, flowers and (traditionally) oak moss. Though all chypre scents have the same backbone, each is ‘dressed’ differently. That’s why these fragrances have always been considered a symbol of elegance and sophistication – you need to be an experienced perfumer to compose such a refined, layered and complicated scent,” Cendrine explains. 
Now, there are multiple fragrances in the Miss Dior line, including Miss Dior EDP, Miss Dior Le Parfum, Miss Dior EDT and Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet.

MISS DIOR BLOOMING BOUQUET WAS LAUNCHED EXCLUSIVELY IN ASIA.
The fragrance was created in 2014 by Dior’s in-house nose Francois Demachy, and Cendrine shares that it was the first time the brand decided to have an Asia-specific fragrance launch. The scent was such a success in Asia that the brand eventually launched it worldwide. With this scent, Demachy strove for a composition that was light, fresh and airy, almost like a fruity rose. “It’s almost like smelling 1,000 flowers at the same time,” says Cendrine.