J’adore Intense isn’t meant to be subtle — and the setting matched.
High above Los Angeles, Christian Dior Parfums took over a stark $60 million Brutalist estate perched in Beverly Hills on Monday evening to celebrate the launch of the fragrance’s newest concentration.
The dramatic concrete house, with its soaring ceilings and glass walls overlooking the city, served as the backdrop for Club J’adore, a one-night affair.
“The idea was to take the DNA of J’adore and make it bolder,” said Dior perfume creation director Francis Kurkdjian. “We took those flowers and brought out their sensual facets. Something rounder, more colorful, almost like edible flowers.”
The fragrance pushes the J’adore bouquet further. Jasmine, “the ultimate sensual flower,” as Kurkdjian described it, is layered with apricot accents, while rose becomes fuller and ylang-ylang envelops the composition with warmth atop a base of sandalwood and vanilla.
The fragrance was conceived with Rihanna, the face of the J’adore campaign, in mind. Kurkdjian said he approached the scent by thinking about the many facets of the global star.
“When you think about Rihanna, she’s not one thing,” he said. “She’s a mother, a lover, someone on stage, a businesswoman — playful and serious and sexy and gentle all at once. There’s one Rihanna, but many facets.”
Rihanna had been expected to attend the celebration but was not present, after reports surfaced that shots had been fired at her L.A. home the day before, prompting her to reportedly leave the city.
Still, whispers of a possible appearance lingered throughout the night.
Among those in attendance were Véronique Courtois, chairman and chief executive officer of Parfums Christian Dior and of the LVMH Group’s beauty division; Dior ambassadors Yuko Araki, Harriet Herbig-Matten and Nicole Wallace, and friends of the house Lana Condor, Skai Jackson, Alexandra Shipp and Jurnee Smollett.
Guests enjoyed music from DJ duo Doppelganger Paris, DJ Kitty Ca$h and DJ Inferno, while Grammy Award-winning pianist Brian Kennedy performed at a grand piano set against the glowing skyline.
Between sets, guests drifted through the estate’s concrete terraces and dimly lit lounge rooms, sipping cocktails and smoking cigarettes. Drinks nodded to the fragrance’s floral notes, including Vodka Jasmine, Tequila Rose and Vodka Ylang Ylang. Some paused at the pool table for quick photo ops before making their way to the basement, which opened to guests at 10 p.m., two hours into the party, where celebrations continued into the early morning.
