English Version | The secret of Granville

It’s not everyday that we unravel one of Beauty’s biggest mysteries. Even so, Dior opened the doors to one of its most sacred places so we could to know the birthplace of Dior Prestige. 

The history of Dior Gardens begins in 1992 but we must return to the first days of the 20th century to understand what’s behind its creation. Christian Dior, iconic French couturier, grew up surrounded by flowers. His mother, Madeleine, would cultivate the most beautiful roses of the region in their villa, in Granville, nurturing a tremendous passion for this flower in the heart of the designer. Years later, Christian Dior would immortalize the beauty of the Granville landscape in several fashion collections that would remain in history. And this is not a surprise once we get a feel of the unique characteristic of the rose of Granville. This is not just like any rose. The rocky soil of the French region influences its molecular compositions, offering the rose a richness not only in terms of the quality of the raw materials, as well as one that can be seen on the outside. For the past 30 years, Dior Gardens have become a true oasis for Beauty. Today it extends over six hectares, filled with over 50 thousand bushes that are the birthplace of the Granville rose. Nicolas Sambet is currently in charge of preserving its growing, taking from the knowledge passed from Jerome Rateau, original creator of Dior Gardens, and André Eve, rose specialist and an emblematic name in botanics. At the center of this knowledge lies sustainability. During the 80s, Rateau was already adopting organic agriculture principles, such as growing this flower with perennial plants to strengthen the ecosystem and avoid adding chemicals and fertilizers. Fast forward to 2022: due to the (worrying) climatic challenges ahead, the maison is aware of the mission it carries. Every single day on its fields work several specialists with the intent to recreate each detail of the native landscape and provide the Granville rose with the ideal ecosystem. This will be a slow but steady transition, focused on restoring the soil and introducing native species that stimulate pollination. Everything it takes to preserve the most precious asset of the French region, which is also the main ingredient of Dior Prestige skincare line. 

It’s not by chance that products like La Crème and La Micro-Huile de Rose are extremely effective in fighting the signs of skin aging. The best secrets of nature are hidden in their formulas, reinforced by the thorough scientific researches. Among these we can highlight the most recent partnership between Dior and the scientist Vadim N. Gladyshev, Medicine professor at the second biggest college hospital in Harvard, known for his progress in reversing cellular aging. This visionary collaboration helps decifre the biological processes of skin aging, using this knowledge to then elongate the youth of the cells. One of the results of this “marriage” between science and nature is precisely the famous La Crème, with strong regenerative properties, from the Dior Prestige collection. The Granville rose places in this product’s formula the resilience and regenerative capacities that it is know for. However, this is only possible thanks to an innovative extractive process that captures the molecular powers of different parts of the French rose. It then becomes a rich nectar filled with 88 molecules able to perform over 25 biological factors related to the youth of the skin. It’s the guarantee of a renewed skin in a product of silky texture, offer by nature and crafted by science. The new La Crème represents an evolution never known before in the Beauty industry, and its “age reverse” pledge is impossible to ignore: in just 8 weeks, the skin looks 6 years younger. Backing this innovative launch there are important names such as Anya Taylor-Joy and Yara Shahidi, together with the olympic champion Kim Yuna, the influencer Sharon Alexie and the actress Wang Likun. However, these are not the only woman with a role to play at the heart of Die Beauty. The luxury brand will celebrate femininity by offering the honor to sponsor a bush of roses from Dior Gardens. Several women, famous or not, will leave their names forever present in the French region, receiving the most important gift that Dior can give: longevity. Just like the rose is born again, also our skin can do so with Dior Prestige. And that is the true secret of Granville. 

Translated from the original on The Gossip Issue of Vogue Portugal.Full credits and stories on the print issue.