Back in June, some news broke in the beauty world—Rihanna was named the new face of Dior J'adore. Typically, when a fragrance house names a new face it doesn't make headlines, but this announcement was particularly newsworthy. Why? Well, for starters it's Rihanna and, secondly, J'adore is one of the world's most iconic, most popular perfumes—and the house hadn't named a new face for the fragrance in over 20 years.
It has been nearly three months since Dior announced this news, and as a beauty editor with a penchant for luxury fragrance (especially Dior perfumes, might I add), I have been counting down the days to see the new film campaign on my TV screen. Now, it is finally here. While this film is hot off the press (it launched at 8pm on 1st September), I was lucky enough to get an exclusive screening of the campaign a few weeks ago and have had a lot of time to collect my thoughts on it. So, here it goes...
Firstly, it has only cemented in my mind how thrilled I am that Dior has made this move. You see, despite the fact J'adore only launched in 1999, which in comparison to other iconic luxury fragrances, isn't all that long ago, it has very quickly become a classic perfume. And while J'adore's fresh, floral soapiness is no doubt timeless, in 2024 when niche perfumes are everywhere, something about it started to feel aged. A new creative vision and a new face in Rihanna only opens the truly magnificent world of J'adore up to a younger audience, giving the fragrance a new lease of life.
Rihanna feels like the ultimate fit. For starters, Rihanna is a known lover of J'adore. "I have always loved this perfume. My mother worked in a perfume shop and she used to bring home the testers when they were almost empty. There was always a bottle of J'adore in the house," she says.
Then, we come onto the film itself and the way that Rihanna portrays the J'adore woman. J'adore is a scent that has intrinsic links to gold—it has come to stand for all things luminous, opulent and luxury. The previous Charlize Theron campaign really lent into that liquid gold concept, but the latest film brings a different, more modern, understandable interpretation. Rihanna is seen walking through the Palace of Versailles—a destination inextricably linked with not just gold and excess, but also of power.
In the film, Rihanna is depicted as a modern day queen, dazzling her way through the palace with an aura of radiance, beauty and assured femininity. "J'adore makes women feel that they can become who they really want to be, deep down inside. It’s magical," says Rihanna of the campaign.
So, with all of this in mind, why do I believe this is such a momentous move in the right direction for both J'adore and Dior? The key, to me, is in the house's decision to focus this new partnership and the prevalent J'adore marketing on J'adore L'Or. While fashion houses have long used naming new faces of their most popular fragrances as a tool to reach younger audiences, that's not to say it always works. My main concern when I heard the Rihanna news was that J'adore had become somewhat synonymous with its noughties-oriented Charlize Theron campaign. To me, and to every perfume lover out there, Charlize Theron is J'adore. Focusing this new campaign on J'adore L'Or, instead of the classic Eau de Parfum, is a really smart move in introducing J'adore to a younger, more modern consumer.
Key notes: Orange blossom absolute, jasmine grandiflorum absolute, centifolia rose absolute
If you're not familiar with J'adore L'Or, let me explain. Much like every major fragrance house, Dior knows the power of modernisation of classics all too well. Miss Dior Eau de Parfum had a major rework in 2021 and the scent is now one of the bestselling perfumes in the UK, proving particularly popular among the younger consumer. And, when master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian was named Perfume Creation Director at Parfums Christian Dior, one of his first tasks was to lead a similar reimagining of J'adore. The result? A richer, more floral, warmer and punchier J'adore—J'adore L'Or.
As soon as I was introduced to the fragrance, I knew immediately that J'adore L'Or marked a new era for J'adore. It is head-turning, it is moreish and it is undeniably modern. My question to the brand at the time, however, was how L'Or was going to be marketed alongside the classic J'adore. Now, that question has been answered. With Rihanna at the forefront, I have no doubt in my mind that J'adore L'Or will become a worldwide bestseller, cementing itself as the classic J'adore scent for 2024 and beyond.
This campaign marks a point in time for olfactory history—Dior knows it, I know it and, it seems, Rihanna knows it, too. "The House of Dior has always represented the highest level of elegance, craftsmanship, and the regality of a woman. It’s always an honour to be a part of the brand’s history, and to now represent J’adore is an even greater responsibility because of how important this fragrance is to Dior," she says.
