THE QUEST FOR ESSENCES ~ DIOR & GRASSE ROSE

The house of Dior in a quest for essences in Grasse preserving the traditional techniques of a living expertise.

Dior and Grasse – For the love of flowers.
Some techniques are so important that they should be safeguarded as treasures. The house of Dior understands this and in 2006, when it initiated exclusive partnerships with the young generation of Grasse growers, it was able not only to provide the finest flowers for its fragrances, but also safeguard and help perpetuate the use of traditional expertise.

Grasse is a unique terroir, set between the sea and the mountains, swept by the winds and warmed by the Mediterranean sun. But without the hand of man, its story could not have thus been transcribed. François Demachy, Dior perfumer-creator, as a native of this region, is fully aware of this. He has steadfastly continued, for more than 10 years now, to multiply links with new fragrance-flower producers, in particular for the May rose, which shines at the heart of Dior creations. Together, with this courageous new generation, they are reawakening this land with their unlimited passion for flowers, but also with respect for nature.

The May rose, a protected beauty.
The figurehead of this Grasse revival is Carole Biancalana from the “Domaine de Manon,” who inherited not only the domain from her ancestors, but also their skills and expertise. These techniques and an instinctive feel for the land is what she, in turn, seeks to pass on to those who wish to join her, such as Armelle Janody from the “Clos de Callian,” who has chosen to cultivate Grasse roses using strictly organic methods. A dozen other young producers are now swelling the ranks of those reserving their harvests for Dior.

All of them perpetuate tradition and honour the slow time required to cultivate exceptional flowers. Planting, grafting, trimming and above all loving the May roses is what unites them. Their respective domains are cultivated without pesticides and with respect for the agricultural rhythm, where the slow and precise techniques of each season are established. Until springtime, when the spectacular Centifolia rose blooms as the ultimate reward, flooding the fields with a sea of fuchsia, and the powerful unique scents that blend notes of pepper and honey found nowhere else.

Love flowers, respect the earth.
Pascal Guignon, one of the new producers who has chosen to enter into an exclusive partnership with Dior, perpetuates this secular expertise in his own way. Harnessed to a ploughshare behind a majestic Percheron horse, he is renewing ties with an essential task, using a traditional technique to weed and turn the soil for a beautiful springtime harvest. Respectful of nature and the living, he accomplishes his mission according to the rules of an agricultural art in communion with the world and its beauties. Each year, he will once again implement these traditional techniques, making a pact now, for the future of an essential land that is reawakening.

For these flower producers and for Dior, who love and respect the Provençal land, the May rose is a miracle of nature.
It is a rare beauty that we know we must wait for patiently and cherish like a queen.