The Dior Narrative

When looking into the narrative and the dream behind Diorissimo, there are many connotations which jump out of the product, and for me there is a very strong story which unveils. Dior is an incredibly sophisticated and well developed brand, which enables a strong sense of control within the brand; however for me, the dior fragrances are more than just smells, they work together in synergy to create a family like feel. J’adore, Miss Dior and Les Creations de Monsieur Dior are three sisters, and when you unravel the product identify within each fragrance you gain an understanding of the audience, smell, bottle aesthetics, and the feel of the perfume. These factors enable the consumer to learn more about where the product fits within the Dior Fragrance ‘family’. 

J’adore is a very sleek, sexual perfume, which is incredibly feminine and independent. The woman behind the fragrance is heavily beautiful and someone how has confidence within herself, she knows what she wants and how she is going to get it. This very confident and forward figure which appears in the family of Dior is an older sister, and is a well loved, appreciated yet strong smell, and is well developed to the perfect amount.

Next you have Miss Dior, who is the youngest of the three, sisters within the Dior fragrance family; she is cheeky, flirty and incredibly girls; the smell is flowery and pink which is displayed strongly within the packaging colour and bow on the lid. Miss Dior is the youngest and although she is confident in herself she has changes to make to herself, and is giggly. If she were to be drawn, she would too be very beautiful, but younger, and she is fun; which is the most important element which can be taken from the fragrance.

Finally you have the strong family of Les Creations de Monsieur Dior, which are almost the cousins of the Dior family, as they themselves make up 6 of the Dior fragrances, meaning there is a strong bond and collection within the brand. Diorissimo, Diorella, Dioressence and Diorling are almost quadruplets, the smells and the looks which carry the Dior fragrance forward are so similar, the bottle shapes are all identical and the look and feel which can be captured from the fragrance are identical. 

I personally see Diorissimo as an interesting family member within the fragrance market. The bottle itself is very bland, there is very little shape and outstanding factor of the bottle, however this inputs an element of mystery within the product, implying that Dior may have put all their efforts into the smell and left the packaging and bottle plain to allow a sense of the unknown into the product. The sell is so floral and fruity, almost a younger smell, however it was one of the first created which leaves the element of surprise when the scent is smelt as you see the movement behind the smell throughout the years. The Diorissimo woman is incredibly elegant yet simplistic, it leaves a lot to the imagination and allows a true mystical element to her; she too would be incredibly beautiful, old fashioned in her beliefs yet her rebranding makes her young in age. In my opinion, Diorissimo is the most interesting of the Dior Fragrance Collection, and although she isn’t the most famous, this adds the element of surprise to her, which is her unique selling point within the market. 

DIORISSIMO – the reasoning behind the shape

Something that isn’t known by many is why the bottle changed shape so drastically from the first production of Diorissimo. However, when the product was re-branded within the collection Les Creations de Monsieur Dior, the company wanted to create something very personal, something unique which taught others about the life of Christian Dior. When Dior used to sketch, he had a very special chair which he sat in, a dark grey armchair with a white rim. It was where he sat, a duplicate of the one he had at home. Dior then made his models sit in the chair for inspiration when he wasn’t able to think of a new and inventive line. Because this was something that was very personal and known by all that worked with him, when the second bottle of Diorissimo was created, it was shaped as if to replicate the armchair.

The sturdy and solid shape of the bottle is to mirror the structure to the chair, and the round rim is the oval cushion which sits on the back of the chair. To the audience this is unknown, as it is simply a perfume bottle, and to them a fragrance, yet Dior created so much more than fragrances, the brand itself were, and still are very particular about the shapes and reasoning behind the products; which is why to this day, it is such a successful and solid business.

Les Creations de Monsieur Dior

LES CREATIONS DE MONSIEUR DIOR – ‘Timeless collection is composed of intensely floral, elegant fragrances that are reminiscent of Dior’s most beautiful gowns, Mr Dior’s favourite flowers or that embody the spirit of another time’

1. Diorissimo
2. Eau Fraiche
3. Diorella
4. Dioressence 
5. Forever and ever Dior
6. Diorling

Dior wanted to create perfuse to match each of the gowns for his first collection, which is where Diorissimo was born. Along with the 5 other fragrances, these range in creation from 1947-1955. They are what Dior is known for, and each one is personal to Dior and a time in his life. In my opinion this is where the real Dior fragrances were born, these are true to form; yet fashion has moved on. The 6 fragrances range from £50 – £90 in price, the higher end of the scale for the business. Dior wanted women to feel special and create an all round package for this audience, which is where he realised the importance of peripheral market and brand extension. This is the importance of looking at the bigger picture within the industry, when women get dressed up in their couture garments by Dior, they also need perfume, gloves, bag ad jewellery; this is where Dior saw a huge development within the company and decided that Dior was ready for the next step as the company was expanding and the name was become famous on a more global level. Therefore, for the big 6 collections that Dior first created when starting out, he matched the perfumes to the gowns to complete the piece; an incredibly wise and brave choice back in that day, but he changed the way the perfumery industry now functions.