The new Miss Dior fragrance is reinventing a vintage icon

Long before actress Natalie Portman became the face of Miss Dior, the iconic perfume was formulated as a homage to “Castor”, the brightest star in the Gemini constellation. Castor was even the code name given to the fragrance before they landed on Miss Dior. But nearly eighty years on from when the intrinsically youthful perfume became a thing, Miss Dior is getting reimagined by Dior Perfume Creation Director Francis Kurkdjian.

His take on a perfume that’s become so synonymous with not only the fashion house, but an image of girlish beauty. One that’s all about immediate, imperative pleasure: jasmine, prominent floral notes, morsels of fruit, something, and something slightly orange-y.

The jasmine is of particular importance to Kurkdjian, who wanted to return to the characteristic notes linked to the extraction methods used in 1947, when Miss Dior was created. For that, the jasmine is picked exclusively in the month of July, and is processed using a method that revives the strawberry, peach and apricot.

While Kurkdjian’s vision of Miss Dior is all about youth, the subtly re-designed bottle is all about sophistication: there’s even more emphasis on the famous houndstooth pattern engraved in the glass, and the ribbon is no longer floral, but solid silver. “We know that Miss Dior was the most beautiful surprise that Christian Dior created for young people… But youth evolves” said Kurkdjian.