French actor Alain Delon in the latest ad for Christian Dior's iconic fragrance for men, Eau Sauvage. According to Dior, Delon is a "living myth" and thus a perfect fit for the enduring classic.
Delon was born in 1935; the photo used in the ad was taken in 1966, the year Eau Sauvage launched. Prior faces for the fragrance have included Zinedine Zidane and Johnny Hallyday. (image via imagesdeparfums.fr, additional information via madame.lefigaro.fr, vogue.fr)
wow. it looks so timeless! guess they cleaned it up fiercely on photoshop.
Maybe.
It IS a great photo and I had chosen it for an article on the gender of vetiver a while ago (last autumn actually) in which you can see the original photo:
http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2008/09/vetiver-series-5-straight-strange-sweet.html
they only Photoshopped the cigarette out of his hand, *nothing else!* Which proves what a wonderful and timeless photo it genuinely is, of course.
As to Delon being a jerk, as I read below, do people who say so know him personally? I would withhold judgment on anyone I only “know” from the tabloids. But maybe that’s just me. :/
I assumed he was a jerk based on the part of Nico Icon where they talked to his mother, who they interview because she raised Nico and Alain’s son.
this is from Roger Ebert’s review of Nico Icon:
“We meet her in her humble flat (“People think I live in a castle or something”), and we learn that Delon gave her a choice: Ari or Alain. She chose the little boy, and has not spoken to Delon for 17 years. Delon emerges from the episode as a real jerk, something that will not surprise those who have followed him over the years.”
I can’t say that it sounds like a responsible attitude, but men are entitled as much as women to their own choices in their lives: who knows if she got pregnant on purpose to force a situation on him or if the child was not his or whatever? My point is, only by hearing both sides of a story can we deduct any conclusions and Delon to my knowledge has always been a very private man.
Not that I have any specific reason to defend him nevertheless!
What a good idea. What a good shot. AND what a good-looking man.
He was very handsome….and even as an older man he’s quite nice looking (of course he’s older than my MOM) ….other from that I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a movie, but I’m not french!
I’ve seen him in a few movies
he’s a jerk!!!!!!!
Don’t have babies with him!!!!!
A creepy dude, eh? Seems to be a rather appalling side effect of being a handsome movie star….seriously, with most of them: nice to look at but wouldn’t go anywhere near them. There always seem to be plenty of women too stupid to figure that out though.
he isn’t even nice to his own mommy!
Not like I’m defending them, but creepy dudes do teach us to appreciate the nice guys. The trick is to learn the lesson the first time around and not go back for seconds….
You are wise oh smokeytoed one.
Robin, ditto to all of that!
And a ps, because I’ve never said, but love your gravatar! Wish I’d thought of it.
Holy perfume bottles, Batman! I think it’s a great gravatar.
I still can’t quite believe I actually figured out how to “do” a gravatar
I’m pretty sure he was briefly married to Nico, chanteuse for The Velvet Underground. Both were very very good-looking, but notorious jerks.
no they weren’t married
he cheated on his fiancee with Nico and then his mom took care of their son but he denied it was his
and I used to lloooove Nico, but I don’t know if she could be called a “chanteuse” lol
Well, it’s a matter of taste. “Chelsea Girls” is one of my favorite songs of all time. She’s not a singer, but what I’d call a “song stylist” (like myself, hah).
Now I remember, yeah, he denied the kid was his (see movie “Nico Icon” for full story). It just amazed me how unattractive their kid was, those two gorgeous people.
Patricia Highsmith herself handpicked Delon as the perfect Ripley.
Kind of like Lou Reed’s style is best described as “sprechstimme”…totally agree with Nico as “song-stylist”…just emerging from a total auditory immersion into The Velvet Underground & Nico for a research paper last semester.
Dagmar, thanks, did not know that about Highsmith. Love the novels & did not love the Matt Damon version.
One of the most handsome man of all times with sexiest perfume of all times. That is great idea. I loved Delon when I was 6 or 7 years old and watched him in Zoro. So long time ago.
I think it is a great idea too.
A-ha! So they did photoshop the cigarette out of the original photo. For a moment it seems to me as if Delon is stroking his cheek, but I suppose it’s the best solution given the current anti-smoking regulations.
lol – here I thought he was just being “contemplative” !!!
Isn’t the picture at http://madame.lefigaro.fr/beaute/en-kiosque/2035-dior-s-offre-delon the original?
never mind, I see
he’s smoking a cigarette while being contemplative.
http://www.brillerenville.com/uploads/images/92/Alain_Delon.jpg
maybe he’s contemplating lung cancer….
Well, I’m not an expert in Jean-Marie Perier’s craft but a few weeks ago I did do a mini-research on the background of the photo when blogging the news:
http://tuileries.blogspot.com/2009/05/young-delon-returns-for-dior-eau.html
I could be wrong but I honestly I did not come across the ciggy-less version of that photograph a month ago. (No offense to Le Figaro but the photo in question looks retouched–the background patina seems modernized IMHO.) Then again, there’s a lot on the line for the mega corporation to attest absolute faithfulness in the original these days, isn’t it?
I thought I was hallucinating when I saw the image of Mr. Delon!…and then I read your copy about the image being from 1966. I thought, boy, I need to get my hands on whatever moisturizer he’s using!! It is a perfect fit. I don’t think we grow sophisticated men like we used to.
No — but perhaps it has always seemed like we don’t grow sophisticated men like we used to! I wonder who in our time will seem “sophisticated” 50 years from now.
in 50 years, my gravatar will be the new Eau Sauvage ad and everyone will say “Oh Bill was so sophisticated, too bad they don’t make men like *that* anymore”
no wait this will be the new Eau Sauvage ad, only they’ll photoshop out the cigarette
http://i29.tinypic.com/2rc7lnc.jpg
also, the ad that my gravatar is from is on a huge billboard on the Reeperbahn right now lololol
Lol! Actually, he kinda looks like Kate Moss gone Goth in that pic to me.
Here’s a recent photo: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/Fiches-People/Alain-Delon/. Still a good-looking man at 73. I recommend the movie “Purple Noon”.
Thanks!
Good-looking, yes….and yet at the same time, somehow calls to mind Jack Nicholson. Can’t put my finger on why. Then again, plenty of ppl seem to find HIM sexy enough, too. Go figure.
I see it too Boo, it’s the eyebrows.
He’s a regular chameleon! I was checking out some of his pics and one minute he looks like Jack, the next he’s channeling Warren Beatty, then looks startlingly similar to Ewan McGregor and then morphs into a bit of Daniel Craig! The guy really couldn’t take a bad picture.
They don’t get prettier than Alain Delon in Purple Noon. Great movie – for those that don’t know, it’s the 1960 version of “The Talented Mr. Ripley”
Oh, that made my ears prick up! Ok, on the Netflix queue it goes…
FUNNY… I immediately thought (before my brain was really engaged) “Alain Delon looks DAMN good for his age.”
fleurdelys beat me to it: “Purple Noon” has been on my bottomless Netflix queue forever; I think I need to move it to the top.
Joe— I just ordered the Byredo Pulp….ETA : June 15th
{begin bolstering your nostril hairs!}
Just so you know, if I was working I would so be in on this with you and I haven’t even smelled the stuff – lol
LOL Tama…I jumped on board unsniffed myself. With just 5ml, it was a reasonable risk to take for me.
My Netflix queue is hopeless. There’s stuff lingering at the bottom that’s been there for years, and will be there for years to come.
I’m surprised Delon is allowing his image to be associated with another company since he produces fragrances under his own name. Anyone know how much he’s actually involved in the creative process?
Gosh, I had assumed those were all discontinued, but you’re right that they’re still making some of them. Well, not exactly competition for Dior, I suppose.
Nope, you have a point; still they’re pretty “big” in Europe (some are very good) and the base of his company is in Switzerland FWIW. Perhaps he has reliquinshed the rights to the photo along with the photographer for a nice little sum.
My mom and dad were teenagers on the 60s
For them The Beatles were the best band of the world for their time, and Alain Delon was the world’s best looking man, for the time too.
These two facts were not open to discussion in the family.
I concurr!
hehehehehe.
p.s. Eau sauvage Extreme was my signature frag for several years, specially before I went perfumista.
Now I have the Fraicheur Cuir, which IMHO is the best of both worlds. It has the subtle drydown of the original, and the extra edge of the extreme, but toned down a notch so you can wear it at daytime too.
Quit talking about that Fraicheur Cuir, which I cannot find, LOL…
Alain Delon, is a French icon. We may or not like him.
But it is not for us to judge his private life nor the one of anyone else.
I go to the cinema to see a film with actors and actresses I like or a director I like. The private life of celebrities is not of my business and should never be talked about.
What is it now with this world that spies on every movement of the celebrities. Who cares as long as they do their job fine, let them have the life they want in peace and quiet. It is all about respect and decency.
I’m with you- I have friends who say, ugh, I will never see a Tom Cruise/Bruce Willis/Sean Connery etc movie ever again – he is such a weirdo/Republican/wife-beater. I don’t care, if I want to see a movie, I see it! I don’t care who is screwing who or marrying who or cheating on who.
ummm….
I have seen several Alain Delon’s films.
and I don’t read tabloids.
If you’re so against assumptions, maybe you should stop making assumptions about *me* too.
o wait… I’m not an icon or French, nvm I don’t deserve respect.
That was just a generalization, not about anyone on particular.
Politeness and courtesy as well as respect applies to everyone.
Phemia & krokodilgena, you’ve both had your say, and for the sake of peace let’s drop it now.
Just some days ago I listened to Françoise Hardy’s last album, a collection of duets. The 2nd song, is her with Alain Delon. I think it’s an interpretation of a poem. The French, I don’t know, they seem to get better with age…
But to me it’s incomprehensible why one should block a cigarette out of a classic shot like this! I mean, honestly, they could at least have cut off the part or something!! I hate this false political correctness!
Sorry, forgot to say it’s the song Modern Style on the album Parenthéses. Maybe someone is interested.
Oh, if they’d have left the cigarette in, people would be having a fit that they were glorifying smoking — I don’t see that they had a choice.
Sometimes when I reply it looks like my comments are not going where there should go… (you can delete this after reading)
Happens to me too but invariably because I didn’t click on the right “reply” link!
LOL! You’re implying I might have hit the wrong button!? Intolerable!
HA. I’m sure it’s your computer. It couldn’t possibly be your error or mine
Oh, I know Robin, but that doesn’t change my feeling about it. It’s a little bit like changing a painting, say, covering the naked breasts of a woman in an exhibition poster not to upset the public. If it’s not apt you shouldn’t use it in advertisement.
LOL…I see your point, but guessing most young people (at whom the ad is aimed) won’t be familiar with the original.
That’s even worse – I mean, that’s exactly the point!
It’s really clever of them at Dior to take fis face for an ad. He really was good looking. Besides he always looked just like a symbol of detachment and “sang-froid” to me and this is the part of Eau Sauvage I appreciate most. Wearing it always makes me a little separated from where I happen to be. All seems like “dear, don’t you think you’re taking it all too serious” – way. We all need this sometimes.
And dear Robin, on’t be sad about Fraicheur Cuir. There’s almost nothig of that “detachment” in it. Too modern
“dear, don’t you think you’re taking it all too serious” — yes, perfect description! And thanks, will try to stop thinking about the FC
Well… you can start thinking about , no! you can even reach and take it (bet you’re never out of this stuff), it has a very similar effect “dear, don’t” etc. It’s Cristalle (not Diorella, never) in eau de toilet concentration and in addition you’ll get some “yo soy el mismo de niebla y luz” (“I am a creature of raylight and fog” Garcia Lorca if I’m not mistaken, a very attractive image in these words) Extremely cold elegant ephemeral and romantic. And fits beautifully a friday night in early July. Have a good one tonight
I already own Cristalle, so that does not help. The grass is always greener…
As upset as I am about the lacking smoke, I admit I can’t think of a better, more iconic face for this magic tincture…
I think it’s a good fit too.
i love the poster.. and alain delon for dior?? whoaahh
It’s nicely done
Intense!