The South of France, Scented With Joy and Love

Maybe you have heard the term Toile de Jouy, a French term meaning Cloth from Jouy, a term that spanned a whole new style of printing on fabric. But it took a German to name it, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf gave the name to this distinct pattern, named after the town where he lived. Printed on cotton fabric with isolated engraved vignettes of historical figures or landscapes, usually printed in red or green on white cotton. This seemingly simple style not only became popular in the French town of Jouy-en-Josas but became internationally popular for those with an obsession with decorative fabrics. Modern-day versions, especially the print by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior, of twisted trees in a forest typify the celebratory vibrant art of living and the spirit of the House of Dior. Find out more about how the print has been used for three limited-edition perfumes from Dior in The South of France, Scented With Joy and Love Image on left JasonYates.com

This is a generic term for this cotton fabric Toile de Jouy, now seen at Dior. Theirs is printed with a forest, lion, monkey and snake and is part of the Dioriviera capsule collection.

This style of wildness is not necessarily seen in France but is certainly a reflection of the energy of the House of Dior. Although Paris is its home, there is also a very strong connection to The French Riviera, or as it is known in France the Côte d’Azur, the coast of bright blue, think summer sun and shimmering seas.

The South of France, always synonymous with joy, laughter and happiness, think of the colours of the Mediterranean, its nature and clear bright skies; The coastline dotted with Provençal villages to which people flock for escape, alongside regal palaces that host the stars of the silver screen, alongside politicians and royalty. Think too of the lingering scent of Lavender in the air and the sound of the cicadas.

Christian Dior by Meomeo15 

This sublime spot, reimagined, in order to celebrate three limited edition takes on Dioriviera, Jasmin des Anges and Eden-Roc, the iconic summer fragrances from La Collection Privée Christian Dior

La Collection Privée Christian Dior dresses three of its iconic fragrances in the Toile de Jouy print created by Maria Grazia Chiuri, in the colours of a beautiful Dior summer; Couture Perfume if you like.

Starting out with Eden-Roc Eau de Parfum, bottled and housed in a couture case adorned with the Dioriviera 2024 collection’s solar rich- egg-yolk-yellow Toile de Jouy motif.

The olfactory silhouette of Eden-Roc embodies a form of Mediterranean hedonism and pays tribute to a legendary location on the Riviera, the Cap Eden-Roc. Opened in 1870 as a private mansion under the name Villa Soleil, it became a hotel in 1889. Guests have included such dignitaries as Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Winston Churchill and Charles De Gaulle and is still considered one of the finest hotels in the world.

This unisex Eau de Parfum is a celebration of Floral and marine, expressed through the sunny freshness of a bouquet of white flowers combined with aromatic notes of pine and sea salt.

Its floral, marine scent illustrates the blue of the refreshing sea, the yellow of a sunny bouquet of flowers and the green of aromatic pine notes. Opening with a hit of Sea Salt, Mineral notes and Citruses, capturing the vibrancy of the coast; middle notes are Jasmine, the evergreen shrub Lentisque and Coconut; Swirling to a high in its base of Pine Tree and Labdanum. Think of the sun kissing bronzed skin whilst cover is provided via a canopy of Pine trees.

For this limited edition, the second scent, Jasmin des Anges is housed in a couture case with the soft red Toile de Jouy motif featured in the Dioriviera 2024 collection. Think of this scent as a lacework of syrupy Jasmine and Apricot nectar embroidered with hints of Honey.

Echoing yet again, a French Classic, the emotive shell-shaped Madeleine, a delicate sponge cake discussed at length in Proust’s book In Search of Lost Time, is caught in scent here.

There are various theories on the origin of the name of the bay including one that is biblical according to the poem Adam et Ève by Alexis de Jussieu. Adam and Eve, after being chased out of paradise, were led to these French shores by compassionate angels.

This fruity floral top comes with a solar Bergamot lifting note. Jasmin Osmanthusus with its ‘peachy-skin tones alongside Peach and apricot with their honey juicy tones held together by base notes of comforting and soft White Musk with Vanilla. A summery juicy honey-eyed scent.

Lastly, in the limited edition collection is the latest classic Dioriviera nestled in a case adorned with the Dioriviera 2024 collection’s emerald green Toile de Jouy motif.

This perfume explores a modern and romantic impression of the rose garden near Château Noire, located in the South of France. Near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, the abandoned castle was surrounded by wild vegetation, and the, isolated chateau offered the painter Cézanne many options for painting, and in the end, it became one of his favourite locations.

This place is explored in scent with an elegant fruity green and floral facets. Combining the floral bouquet of the magnificent Rose, with Fig via Stemone, and green notes with the slight warmness of a nice, sunny day. Think of it as an enchanting summer escape into the fruit-filled landscapes with their hills and trees and the wind bringing the soft scent of Rose on its wings.

These are three joyful unisex Eau de Parfum wrapped in ‘couture cloth’ representing all that is best in Dior dolce vita energy. The limited edition is available in the 125 ml and 250 ml bottles of Dioriviera Eau de Parfum. Should you wish to carry your favourite perfume everywhere, La Collection Privée also provides a limited-edition portable spray. 

It is unsurprising then that this luscious location stands as inspiration to Dior, after all, such luminaries as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Queen Victoria graced its walkways, buildings and beaches, so magical in fact, is the area that it inspired painters to create, and now inspires perfumers to sprinkle their magic elixir across its sun-soaked paths.

For more information about La Collection Privée Christian Dior please visit here and on the house at Dior.com

If you enjoyed reading The South of France, Scented With Joy and Love why not read Exploring Beautiful Spaces here