Miss Dior reimagines Christian’s original chypre

By Deborah Fulsang

A few years ago, when my daughter was perhaps 5 or 6, I showed her two irresistibly petite perfume bottles for her to choose a favourite to wear. (It’s never too young to start the perfume education process, I say. And yes, you should start with the best.) The pair of bottles: a tiny flask of Chanel No.5 and a diminutive flacon of Miss Dior.

I uncorked each one for a sniff. My subject pondered—but only for an instant. “Miss Dior,” she stated firmly.

Gotta love a girl who appreciates a chypre.

The signature spritz crafted by Mr. Christian Dior in 1947, coincided with the launch of the couturier’s revolutionary New Look silhouette with its legendary sculpted tailoring and refined feminine waist—a look that was so strong, so bold, so influential.

The original fragrance, a green floral chypre, was meant to embody the essence of that sartorial creation.

This season, perfumer François Demachy reimagines Mr. Dior’s perfume classic. In place of the original’s green and resinous galbanum greeting, he layers in citrus, namely Sicilian mandarin, blood orange and bergamot. And for the heart of the revamped beauty, Demachy blends Indian and Egyptian Jasmine absolute with Turkish rose and Tunisian orange. For the signature chypre essence, he structures a base with sensual sandalwood and vetiver.

The result: a soft and sexy, warm and thoroughly feminine perfume that hints at its VIP-Parisian past with an almost indiscernible but truly sophisticated powdery-ness. (For the record, this is good multi-dimensional powdery, not two-d baby powdery-ness. And subtle.) It’s a scent that suits a thoughtful and forthright young woman (yes, even if she’s under the age of 10) as much as her Dior-loving mother. How’s that for timeless?

Miss Dior EDP, $92 (50 ml), www.dior.com, www.thebay.com

PHOTO: MISS DIOR, MAKING OF VIDEO ON YOUTUBE. CLICK TO VIEW.