Claude Martinez, the global president of Dior perfume and cosmetics of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Photo: Courtesy of Christian Dior

Claude Martinez, the global president of Dior perfume and cosmetics of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, creates fashion classics and legends in the perfume and cosmetics industry. He continuously promotes the development of Dior perfume and cosmetics with his broad vision and powerful leadership.

Martinez began his career at Young and Rubicam advertising company, which was incredibly important for him. In such a demanding holding company, he learned how to be flexible and rigorous, creative and strong, as well as how to listen to people. Martinez views the company as a school that has taught him the value of excellence and high standards and prepared him for the job of running the Dior "ship."

Global Times (GT) recently had an exclusive interview with Martinez, where he discussed the DNA and destiny of Dior perfume and cosmetics throughout its long history.

GT: What made you want to work with Dior?

Martinez: Dior is more than just a luxury brand. It's an absolute symbol with international significance. When you say "Dior," all the excellence of French luxury stands out, along with unique savoir-faire and expertise. The reason I came to Dior is because of the permanent creativity that reigns at Dior, as well as the ability to preserve and value its historical roots while looking to the future.

GT: Under your leadership, Dior has many perfume lines. J'adore and Miss Dior have become Dior signature fragrances. How did you make this happen?

Martinez: Miss Dior is Christian Dior's "only child," and this mythical perfume was born almost at the same time as the Dior Couture House. It is the fragrance that accompanied the birth of the New Look in 1947, and was the fragrant "signature" of a new type of femininity created by Christian Dior at the end of the war. Miss Dior is simultaneously a perfume, an ideal and a universe. So for many years now we have been endeavoring to celebrate its Couture soul while looking toward the future and the unknown.

The destiny of J'adore was completely different. It was born at the dawn of the century and astonished the public with its surprising floral harmony. It immediately created new territory for Dior, imposing the image of a serene woman and a goddess who crosses time and trends.

Now our standards for the two pillars of Miss Dior and J'adore are equally high, both in terms of their compositions, which François Demachy regularly reinterprets using the noblest raw materials, and also in terms of their visual universes, which are constantly being redesigned, challenged and questioned.

GT: While most luxury brands are no longer designing or selling their own brand of perfume, Dior still insists on doing research and production. Dior perfume has become one of the few luxury perfume brands with a complete industrial chain. Why do you stick to that?

Martinez: We are following the Dior DNA with persistence and creativity, and we are continually reinventing ourselves to honor it. Dior has a production site near Orléans, which makes all the Dior perfumes, make-up and skincare. Last year we also opened Hélios, a scientific research center that brings hundreds of researchers together and which, among other things, is dedicated to innovating our skincare lines and product formulas. We have also set up a network of Dior Gardens throughout the world, where we are developing eco-responsible crops with local people in order to harvest unique ingredients and molecules for skincare.

GT: Since you joined Dior, what have been the key changes in the perfume industry, and how did you deal with them?

Martinez: Nowadays, there is an incredible profusion of perfume on offer with no point of comparison, while the Dior Perfume House remains almost unique in its audacity and vision and the quality of its creations. We are among the rare few who control the perfume fabrication process from start to finish. From the initial idea and the creative stages to the bottling, nothing is outsourced, and everything is done by Dior. This total control is proof of our difference, and of "real" luxury.

GT: As the president of Dior perfume and cosmetics for over a decade, what is the biggest challenge you experienced and how did you overcome it?

Martinez: The challenge we face for the foundations of our Perfume House is maintaining intense creativity and extremely high standards for our raw materials, as well as safeguarding our expertise. This means constant work and is an exciting ongoing process. It not only means preserving the bold spirit that is characteristic of Dior, but also developing partnerships with local producers. All over the world, we are building links and demanding made-to-measure flowers and raw materials for our perfumes.

GT: Does the Shanghai boutique of Dior cosmetics and perfume play a role of brand promotion?

Martinez: We prioritize Dior boutiques across the world in order to provide our various audiences with a "Dior" experience, thanks of course to our exceptional products, but also to the beauty of a universe decorated in Dior colors. Last year in Shanghai, in the heart of the prestigious IFC, we opened a boutique that offers the essence of Dior beauty.

GT: As the president of a cosmetics and perfume company, you need to rely on specialists and designers to contribute vitality and wisdom. How do you get them to do consistently effective work?

Martinez: François Demachy, the Dior perfume creator and Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior make-up, are two creative individuals in universes which are precise and unique, expert and demanding. Working with them is a rich experience of exchange, lively discussions and surprises. I am not there to hamper their creativity - quite the contrary, to set a framework with limits that are inherent to the laws of the market.

GT: Chinese luxury consumers are fickle in affection, and it is difficult for some luxury brands to keep up their image among Chinese consumers. How does Dior overcome this challenge and win the competition in Chinese market?

Martinez: The Chinese market is evolving rapidly and is more and more demanding. Loyalty to Dior takes the shape of this notion of an exceptional experience and a unique bond with the brand. We want to offer Chinese men and women quintessentially Dior luxury, so that they can enjoy the entire Dior fragrance range as well as the most innovative of our make-up and skincare products.

Dior set up in China thanks to teams and processes that were extremely efficient in obtaining indispensable support to commercialize our products. In the same way, our BCs (Beauty Consultants) and other Beauty and Make-Up experts provide clients with an expert, highly targeted welcome.