Christian Dior’s Cherished Provence Estate Inspires Dior’s Newest La Collection Privée Fragrance
Francis Kurkdjian has conjured Dior Paradise as a tribute to the spirit of the South of France
For Christian Dior, there was no greater pleasure than the time spent at his private estate, Château de la Colle Noire, in Provence, France. To celebrate those blissful days, the brand’s perfume creation director, Francis Kurkdjian, has conjured Dior Paradise for the maison’s couture line of fragrances known as La Collection Privée. The gourmand-leaning olfaction starts with the scent of almond, a tree that proliferated on the grounds and one of the couturier’s favorite flavors.
Kurkdjian countered its seriousness by adding a note of fizzy mandarin, explaining, “I needed something with a spark.” He then finished the aroma with tonka bean and a warm wood. “I wanted to pay tribute to the spirit of the South of France,” he says of the luminous yet layered scent. “This place was really an escape for him.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Summer Issue under the headline “Paradise Found.” Subscribe to the magazine.