Muguet
Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1957, Libre line
The Muguet dress is one of the iconic models of the House. Its name, the shape of its ruffle skirt and the embroidery that delicately decorates the ensemble are reminiscent of the couturier’s favourite flower.
The lily of the valley, due to its symbolism, was very dear to the couturier: it is viewed as a lucky flower and is still gifted to the entire House every 1st May.
Christian Dior was superstitious. He himself wore lily of the valley at all times.
Three years before the creation of the Muguet dress, Christian Dior dedicated an entire line to this flower, in the Spring-Summer 1954 collection.
Lily of the valley is also used in the composition of the House’s perfumes. Lily of the valley is scarcely used as it is a “mute flower”: its fragrance fades away at the slightest extraction attempt. These elusive flowers represent the “perfumer’s despair.”
Christian Dior did, however, decide to use lily of the valley as the essential note for his perfume Diorissimo, which was launched in 1956. The creation of this perfume was entrusted to Edmond Roudnitska, who had already created the Diorama perfume for the House in 1949.
Several flowers were required to obtain the fragrance of the lily of the valley. These included the ylang-ylang, the jasmine and the Rose de Mai, the curls of which adorn the bottle of Diorissimo, designed by Christian Dior.
© Laziz Hamani ; © Jacques Rouchon/Roger-Viollet ; © Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock