The Centifolia rose, known as the rose of “a hundred petals,” reigns supreme in a new perfume.

There are few houses where the dialogue between nature and art is as exquisitely orchestrated as at Dior, founded by the world’s preeminent couturier-perfumer, Christian Dior . With the unveiling of Les Récoltes Majeures – La Rose, the Maison’s latest olfactory chapter, Dior reaffirms its devotion to the rose – not merely as a motif, but as a living, breathing muse. This fragrance, the second in the Les Récoltes Majeures trilogy of “soliflore” fragrances (single flower), is a sensorial homage to Christian Dior’s cherished memories and the eternal beauty that he famously called the “Queen of flowers.”

A CHILDHOOD IN BLOOM: GRANVILLE AND THE GENESIS OF A LEGEND

Christian Dior’s lifelong love affair with roses began in the windswept gardens of Le Rhumbs, his childhood home perched above the Normandy coast. Here, amid the salt air and wild cliffs, the young Dior was enchanted by his mother Madeleine’s rose garden – a sanctuary of colour and scent that would shape his creative universe. “The rose, a queen at Dior,” the house declares, capturing the flower’s regal status in its mythology. It is this very garden, and the memory of its bloom, that inspired Francis Kurkdjian, Dior’s Perfume Creation Director since 2021, in his latest composition for the house.

Kurkdjian, ever the poet of scent, sought to channel the exhilaration Dior himself must have felt as the first Centifolia roses unfurled each spring. His vision: to bottle the fleeting magic of spring, when the Grasse countryside is awash in a sea of pink petals and the air is thick with their dewy perfume.

A TRILOGY ROOTED IN REVERENCE

Les Récoltes Majeures is not merely a collection, but a trilogy – a triptych of fragrances devoted to Dior’s three favourite flowers. Following the luminous debut of Lily of the Valley (Mueget), the second chapter, La Rose, arrives in Summer 2025. Each instalment is a limited-edition celebration of nature’s bounty, orchestrated around absolutes and harvested at their peak, echoing the rhythms of the seasons with only 200 bottles of each fragrance released, retailing for US$1,300 each. The final instalment in the trilogy, Jasmine, will launch in September.

What sets Les Récoltes Majeures apart is its sense of place. Kurkdjian’s creative process was deeply rooted in the terroir of Grasse, the spiritual home of French perfumery. He made repeated pilgrimages to Dior’s “scent library” at Château de La Colle Noire, his Provençal retreat in the famous perfume region of Grasse, immersing himself in the rose fields and the rituals of the harvest. The result is a fragrance that feels both intimate and grand. It is a tribute to tradition, yet thoroughly modern in its execution.

LA ROSE: A PORTRAIT OF THE CENTIFOLIA

La Rose is built around the Centifolia, or “hundred-petaled” rose, famed for its voluptuous, honeyed scent and delicate, powdery facets. Kurkdjian’s interpretation is luminous and textured, orchestrating the rose absolute with a deft hand. The opening is fresh and dewy, evoking the first rays of morning sun on damp petals. Gradually, the fragrance unfurls into a heart of creamy, almost tactile florals, underpinned by subtle green notes that recall the living plant.

What distinguishes La Rose is its sense of authenticity. Rather than abstracting the flower, Kurkdjian sought to evoke the experience of standing in the Grasse fields at dawn, surrounded by the intoxicating scent of freshly picked blooms. “Orchestrated around absolutes … Centifolia rose … as Christian Dior himself undoubtedly experienced the scent,” the house notes, underscoring the fragrance’s fidelity to its source.

AN OBJECT OF DESIRE: THE AMPHORA BOTTLE

In keeping with the spirit of haute couture, La Rose is presented in a limited-edition amphora bottle  – a sculptural objet d’art that pays homage to Dior’s heritage. Each bottle is hand-finished, its curves echoing the voluptuous lines of a rose in full bloom, with a stopper sculpted in brass wire and embellished with satin and delicate beading by Dior’s embroiderer, Maison Vermont. The amphora is both a vessel and a talisman, inviting the wearer to partake in the ritual of fragrance as Dior once did.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN NATURE AND ART

At its heart, Les Récoltes Majeures – La Rose is a meditation on the relationship between nature and artistry. By capturing the ephemeral beauty of the Centifolia rose at its peak, Dior invites us to pause, to savour, and to remember. In a world that moves ever faster, this fragrance is a reminder of the power of memory, the luxury of time, and the enduring allure of the queen of flowers.

As the second chapter in this trilogy, La Rose is both a continuation and a crescendo, a fragrant bridge between past and present, garden and atelier, nature and art. For those who seek not just a perfume, but a piece of Dior’s soul, Les Récoltes Majeures – La Rose is an invitation to step into the garden and breathe deeply of its bloom.