QUEEN OF J’adore
Rihanna

Her audacity is equalled only by her aura, a beauty so captivating it is almost surreal. Her worldwide success remains unparalleled to date, with several hundred million albums sold and each of her appearances becoming an event unto itself, eclipsing (absolutely) everything in its path. No one but Rihanna could be the new ambassador of J’adore, which she embodies divinely onscreen for her longtime friend, the director Steven Klein, who filmed her for Dior in the dreamlike Chapter IV of the Secret Garden series back in 2015. Already, that adventure came together like a fairy tale foretold at the Palace of Versailles, the French symbol of dreams and excellence. Here, we look back on the unique encounter – as enduring as it is dazzling¹ – between Rihanna and Dior, for which she is now the stunning ambassador. Sincerely touched and moved by this accolade, the star opens up about her love of J’adore. An icon for a meeting of icons.

MARIE AUDRAN: You’ve said you have always adored J’adore: how did that love story begin?

RIHANNA: I have always loved that perfume. It’s the scent of my childhood. My mother worked in a perfume shop, and she used to bring it home. There was always a bottle of J’adore in the house. For me, the fragrance symbolizes what being a woman means. Its scent gives rise to a special feeling, an intimate moment. When you smell J’adore, you feel like time is standing still.

MA: How would you describe its fragrance?

R: J’adore is quite simply a unique fragrance! It’s fresh and sexy at the same time. It’s a perfume that is never “too much” – neither too spicy, nor too delicate, nor too clean. J’adore has an aura. It expresses a genuine essence. And I have to say I particularly like L’Or de J’adore by Francis Kurkdjian. It feels fresh and sensual, like being enveloped in light.

MA: How does wearing J’adore make you feel?

R: Personally, I feel that the perfume has so much power! It gives you self-confidence, awakens memories and transports you to a different place. J’adore makes women feel that they can become who they really want to be, deep down inside. It’s magical! With just one spray, you understand that this fragrance conveys exactly what you want to be. It embodies a personal ideal. I love that Christian Dior quote that goes: “Perfume is the finishing touch on a dress.”²

MA: How would you describe the J’adore woman?

R: She is beautiful, strong, sexy and triumphant. All at the same time! She is a liberated, audacious and consummate woman, who takes responsibility for her choices, and who makes every young girl and woman dream, all over the world.

MA: What was it like shooting this campaign at the Palace of Versailles?

R: Versailles is enchanting. Everything is astonishingly beautiful. It is the symbol par excellence of French luxury. Being able to wander around there early in the morning, feeling like a queen, was a privilege and an incredible dream. It was an absolutely magical experience, a Dior dream in gold! J’adore is closely connected to gold, through its colour, its bottle and its image. Nowhere else in the world could you be surrounded by as much gold as at Versailles. You couldn’t dream of a better setting than the Palace of Versailles for J’adore, and for Dior.

MA: What is the J’adore film, directed by Steven Klein, all about?

R: It’s the story of a metamorphosis, a transformation and an encounter between my world and that of Dior in this magical place, all of it transcended by Steven Klein’s vision. It’s the story of a woman who fulfils her dream. She moves beyond being a woman to become a queen. But above all, it’s a positive message addressed to women all over the world, inviting them to live their dream.

MA: What was it like working with Steven Klein?

R: Steven Klein is one of the greatest artists, and I have already had the opportunity to work with him on several occasions, including a first time at Versailles for Dior. I love his vision of a completely modern and sensual woman, simultaneously transcended and celebrated. My biggest challenge was learning how to pronounce “J’adore Dior” perfectly in French! J’adore was born right at the turn of the 21^st century, and it made an impression on my childhood. Embodying the perfume today is an honour and a mission, as the serene, powerful and triumphant femininity it portrays has always made little girls’ eyes light up, all over the world. Charlize Theron embodied it with extraordinary radiance and strength. The aura of the J’adore woman is symbolic of my unwavering desire to shine and to shape my destiny, like every woman wants to shape hers. J’adore is a perfume-companion, and an ally that gives women confidence.

J’adore: A Film of Couture Dreams and the Alchemy of Desire

As if stepping straight off a Dior runway and into a marvellous kingdom of dreams, she appears by night, an ultra-modern princess all dressed in Dior, and transforms into an imperial queen in the heart of the Hall of Mirrors. Like a goddess endowed with irresistible gifts, she fuses the alchemical power of gold with the strength of her aura.

For this unique campaign, the Dior ateliers once again excelled, pushing back the limits of exceptional craftsmanship: Rihanna wears a Dior haute couture gown embroidered entirely on her, with thousands of tiny golden beads, an incredible work of goldsmithery down to the last one, requiring thousands of hours of infinite precision by the virtuoso petites mains at 30 Montaigne. All the vibrant nuances of gold are revealed prodigiously on a fabulous bustier gown evoking a reinvented Age of Enlightenment, the transparency of tulle creating an extraordinary second-skin effect, magnified and completed by a majestic necklace and jewelled gloves that play on the same regal colours, in perfect harmony with the sumptuous setting of the Palace of Versailles. A Queen in her castle.