Love Reimagined: Natalie Portman On Superhero Scents, Fragrant Memories and Fashion From “Down Under”

In honour of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, the award-winning actress shares insight into the role fragrance has played throughout her lifetime and career…

For us hopeless romantics at heart, with free-spirited tendencies and an insatiable appetite for adventure, there’s something so relatable about Natalie Portman’s character in the Miss Dior campaigns. We don’t know her name or where she’s from, but one thing is for certain: “Miss Dior” won’t settle. She’s on a journey to find true love, a love that perhaps no man is capable of giving her, because living in the moment is so much sweeter than being tied down; in fact, she’s more enamoured with her life than she ever could be with any man.

While its well known that back in 1947 Christian Dior was on a quest to create a fragrance reminiscent of the rollercoaster ride of emotions that comes with falling – truly, madly, deeply – in love, he very well could have been alluding to the adoration one can have for living life to the fullest; an emotion much stronger than joie de vivre, captured by the essence of a bouquet of flowers.

Now, a decade later since Natalie first appeared as the face of the fragrance in the Miss Dior Chérie campaign, the maison has reimagined its most iconic perfume, adding fresh elements of lily of the valley, iris and peony into the bouquet while staying true to its most iconic rose notes – including a rose like no other, appropriately named Sweet Love.

Created by in-house perfumer François Demachy, who was inspired by this fragrant muse, Miss Dior Eau de Parfum is sophisticated and confident, yet still boasts an energetic outlook on life – quite similar to the characteristics of the campaign’s leading lady, who has been based in Sydney, Australia throughout the past few months with her family.

Having recently finished filming Thor: Love And Thunder, starring in the role of superhero Jane Foster/ Mighty Thor, Natalie clearly boast a love for adventure, her craft and exploring new territories – not unsimilar to the spirit of the fragrance. In celebration of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, Bazaar chats to the Academy Award-winning actress about life down under, getting into character and the power of scent…

Share with us your first memory of fragrance; are there any notes or scents that you find particularly nostalgic?

I remember a lot of my youth being in citrus fields, like orchards – so the scent of orange blossom is always really close to me. When I was in Tunisia filming Star Wars, I felt very connected to the scent of jasmine; you would go to the markets and kids would be running around with handfuls of it. Then, of course, being able to visit the rose fields in Grasse with Dior. It was just an incredible experience to be there when they were blooming, smelling that fragrant rose scent. When I was a pre-teen, like a lot of pre-teen girls, I was very into sweet smells. I would go for vanilla and then I kind of grew into floral scents that were much more delicate and kind of settled.

Combining lily of the valley, iris and peony with classic rose notes, Miss Dior Eau de Parfum tells the age old tale of falling in love through the power of scent

How would you describe the new Miss Dior Eau De Parfum?

The new Miss Dior has this floral scent, but also… an earthier undertone. It’s still romantic and playful, but is grounded – which I think is what we aspire to explore as humans.

What sort of role has scent played throughout your professional life? Does it help you get into character?

I often burn incense or candles in my trailer, because it really helps [create] an environment for me, along with the teas I drink when I’m working (I’m always having cinnamon)… it gives me space for concentration and comfort. I think I have a tendency for warm scents, for a feeling of home and cosiness.

Inspired by the Sweet Love Rose, Miss Dior Eau De Parfum is a sophisticated reinterpretation of the iconic fragrance

How has moving to Australia changed your life?

Well I’ve been here for my work, as that’s where Thor has been filming, and I’m so grateful to be here. It’s such an extraordinarily beautiful country, with the most incredible landscapes, really lovely people and a calm environment. It’s obviously very far away from my family and friends, who we’ve missed very much, but it’s almost incredible to spend time in nature – from the beaches to the countryside to the desert.

How are you finding Australian style? Do you miss European fashion at all?

I feel like there’s a lot more colour, which has been a really positive influence in my life; I realised just how much joy it brings me to have colour in my wardrobe. It’s a very casual culture, there are not a lot of situations where you’re required to dress up – which I think is quite nice, because then it feels special [when you need to dress up.] I do miss Europe, but there’s a lot of great fashion here too in Australia and it’s been great to learn about some of the local designers.

Can you share any insight into training for the role of Jane Foster in the fourth installment of the Thor series?

I was doing a lot of weightlifting for my upper body, which I’ve never done before. That was very new and fun to feel strong; I feel like so much of what we are aspire to [attain when working out] as women is usually to look smaller than we are… it was nice to try and get bigger.

And does Jane Foster have a signature scent?

I didn’t really use a signature scent for her. I did have an incense that I used – it was kind of like sage – in my trailer, so maybe that would be hers? I guess, because she’s an astrophysicist, some sort of stardust fragrance would be her best scent. Miss Dior Eau de Parfum will make its debut this September.

Photography: Courtesy Of Christian Dior

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s September 2021 issue