Diorissimo

Diorissimo is a floral perfume released by fashion brand Christian Dior and created by French master perfumier Edmond Roudnitska.[1] Originally introduced in 1956, Diorissimo is an attempt to simulate lily of the valley.

History

The flower was designer Dior's favorite, decorating his stationery, his garden,[2] and often his lapel, as well as serving as the inspiration for his 1954 spring collection,[3] but the flower's scent is difficult to recreate in perfume since no essential oils can be obtained from the actual flowers.[4]

Consequently, Diorissimo's lily scent largely used lab-created molecules to evoke the flower[4] and is often considered the most successful effort in the history of perfumery.[5] Diorissimo also has notes of ylang-ylang, amaryllis, boronia and jasmine.[6] Over time, Diorissimo has been reformulated to comply with the regulations of International Fragrance Association (IFRA),[7] in particular to remove two key components identified as potential allergens.[5] Nevertheless, in the 21st century, Diorissimo has continued to be named to lists of the greatest fragrances of all time.[8][9][10]

The scent was reportedly a favorite of Diana, Princess of Wales.[11]