Born on the coast of Normandy in 1905, the future designer was the son of a wealthy fertilizer manufacturer. At the age of five the whole family moved to Paris, where young Christian started his artistic career by selling his sketches on city streets (despite the family wishes for a boy to become a diplomat).

Christian Dior was — initially and forevermore — a gardener of both plant and design; a cultivator of sweet smells and flowers, of dresses and perfumes. His early life in Paris forced him to pay attention to color, to light, to the smells of the street and the world around him.

At the initial launch of his House of Dior, Christian proclaimed himself as much a designer of dresses, as he was of perfume. Therefore, his fragrances are held with the same high regard as Couture he created. The fashion empire was established in Paris back in 1947 with a fabulous brand idea: that fragrance should hold the same grand identity and life as his flowing, beautiful dresses — as the rest of his fashion line.

Exploring Artisan Perfume Making Techniques

To utilize the interior flower scent, Christian Dior maintained an ancient technique: distillation. Raw material from the flowers, be them the roses of his garden or the lilacs of his bushes, were formed into their essential oils. The steam passed into condenser: it was cooled, letting the oils and water to divide in a Florentine flask. Therefore, the process allowed Dior’s utilization of both floral water and essence.

Throughout the extraction technique, which yields a different element of the flower, Dior let the flowers to rest in a solvent. The aromatic compounds and waxes are then extracted. After evaporation, these compounds and waxes remain as solids, known as “the perfumer’s diamond”.

Christian Dior — together with perfumer Edmond Roudnitska, was the first to establish a scent for men — utilizing the aforementioned techniques. The individuality of each scent Dior had created for women allowed him to proscribe a need for this in men: with unique fashion ideas and individualism. He reasoned, almost, that the women of the world heralded the flower senses; that there had to be a depth to all the high, bright flower notes. There had to be a completion.

And this, Dior found, in his first unisex scent: Eau Fraiche cologne. Christian Dior himself wore the fragrance; like the fragrances of before, for women, Eau Fraiche held a simplicity — a match with the menswear of the time. The men’s fashion of the early 1950’s was chic, sporty. It swung with cotton fabrics. The dynamic Eau Fraiche allowed men to complete their day fashion: allowed their role in the fashion world to be complete.

Unfortunately, just four years after cologne success, Christian Dior died from a heart attack. And without their fearless cultivator, the House of Dior began to shut its doors. But Paris — now in absolute adoration and completely prescribed to Dior’s lines — repelled this idea. The French fashion industry, licenses, and the economically conscious government of France looked to the general manager for assistance.

And suddenly — Yves Saint-Laurent, a 21-year-old designer, was sent to the helm. He became creative director of the largest fashion enterprise in Europe, in the fashion capitol of the world. And his persistence and hard work has allowed the Dior brand to grow, stretch into the future. He pushed modernity into the sixties.

	Eau Sauvage An absolute must-have in your perfume collection, Eau Sauvage is the first mainstream cologne containing hedione — an important ingredient in olfactory. For some, this fragrance is the true definition of a classic masculine scent, for others it is unisex with its citrusy freshness. Perfect for spring or summer days, Dior Eau Sauvage leaves you with a clean gentle scent all day. It doesn’t last long, thus you would like to apply something heavier in the night. Still, a very well made fragrance and subtly classy.
	Fahrenheit At some point Dior managed to create something distinctly unique: a very masculine floral scent that turned the established system on its head. Fahrenheit smells remarkably modern even today with its warm and sophisticated combination of spice and a cooling musk that would remind you of a hot summer rain under the blooming trees. It is addictive fragrance that has a strong edge of attraction. You will not be disappointed with this legendary scent that transcends the barriers of what most fragrances usually are.
	Dior Homme Released in 2005, this scent is definitely not for a guy who wants something cartoonishly masculine. This has depth and unique sensitivity, it's softer and subdued, smart and innovative, bold and provocative. It hosts Calabrian bergamot top notes before lingering into a heart of grapefruit and white musks. Like the past’s Eau Fraiche, the Dior Homme cologne can be worn with any sort of modern wear: it’s airy, passing a sort of fresh feeling. Very elegant, and has great longevity. Once applied there is no turning back.

Defining a New Era of the Word’s Iconic Fashion House

Since 1953, the House of Dior has continued the manufacture and release of a whole passel of colognes for men. 1966 brought about Eau Sauvage, which spun an interesting citrus depth. It held top notes sprinkling lemon and rosemary before falling to middle notes of petitgrain and basil. The heart notes boasted vetiver. It was incredibly popular, masculine cologne packaged in a classy bottle. In 1984, the House of Dior came out with a more intense, heavier Eau version entitled Eau Sauvage Extreme: to live louder, to party later.

The current House of Dior perfume-creator is Francois Demachy, who continues this modernization with the aggressive and energetic Dior Homme Cologne. In 2013, Dior announced its most recent face of Dior Homme. They looked, as always, to the most current, most fresh and full personality of the day.

They chose Robert Pattinson — a celebrated movie star and shaggy, gruff, masculine man, who emulates the most current, aggressive and energetic ideas of the Dior men’s fragrances. He is excited and young: a breath of athleticism and, almost, mystery. His sultry fashion shoots illustrate the sort of secret ingrained in the idea of the Dior line: that there’s something in the depth of the flower, of the earth, that one can pinpoint and draw out into a fragrance.