Inside Dior’s Partnership With the World Wildlife Fund to Support Puma Conservation

Alex Strohl4 min readA few months ago, I found myself in Patagonia attending a far-from-standard beauty event with Parfums Christian Dior. I wasn’t there to talk notes with a perfumer, to see a skincare ingredient being harvested, or even because it was a dramatic landscape that would lend itself well to social-media posts. I was there to hear about pumas—and for the chance to glimpse them in the wild, just before winter arrived and the snow came. More specifically, I was there to witness puma conservation and hear how Dior’s Sauvage, the best-selling fragrance in the world, has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to support the cause.This is no novelty “swipe right” hookup, but a collaboration with substance. Dior has been supporting WWF since 2023 and recently recommitted for another three years. “Beauty is not like fashion,” says Cécile Lochard, the global sustainability director at Parfums Christian Dior. “You don’t make a collection and change your partner each time. It takes three years on average to develop a product, and it was like that with WWF too: what is the correct species [to support], what will we do, how will we convey it to the public? And this is not just another non-profit partnership, but part of a 360-degree approach when it comes to making Sauvage the torchbearer of Dior commitment [to the environment and sustainability].”Edwina Ings-ChambersIngs-Chambers in PatagoniaWhy the puma? Well, there has always been an element of big-cat energy in the Sauvage universe. After Alain Delon’s brief stint as the face of the original Eau Sauvage when it launched in 1966, the fragrance was represented by the illustrations of René Gruau, which often featured some seductive leopard action. And if you want to get poetic, there’s another connection: the puma is an elusive animal, one whose presence is often felt before it’s seen. Much like a fragrance that alerts you to the wearer’s arrival long before they prowl into view.“There has ALWAYS been an ELEMENT of big-cat ENERGY in the SAUVAGE universe.”Alex StrohlAlex StrohlAccording to Lochard, however, none of the above has anything to do with what’s going on here, and although she can see the common thread, “it’s not on purpose.” This has more to do with the Sauvage universe, the call of the wild, and the wide-open spaces central to its creation and messaging: the current tagline, after all, is “In the wild, everything is always in front of you.” Parfums Christian Dior wanted Sauvage to make a real difference and support the preservation of an at-risk species. Lochard previously worked at WWF as deputy director of corporate partnerships and established the philanthropy director role but says that, at the time, it was impossible to strike a deal with a luxury brand to protect a wildlife species. Now she is making it happen.Diego MartinezA project like this is “a big step-change, not just for Dior but for the industry,” says Lochard. Dior was careful not to dictate terms. “We asked what their choice would be,” she says. “Which species is vulnerable or endangered. And then it was: let’s try to find a way to fit with the campaign around Johnny [Depp, the brand ambassador].” Their conservation projects started with the lynx in France, then the jaguar in Mexico and the United States, before moving on to the puma in Chile. “It isn’t easy sometimes to find a subject that can fit both structural and creative concerns; this was the perfect match,” adds Lochard. This call of the wild has worked in all senses: the puma is already being featured in Sauvage campaigns and a new audience has been opened to the WWF.Diego MartinezWWW.DIEGOMARTINEZ.EUTaking care of an apex predator such as the puma has a knock-on effect on other wildlife. “The puma has a unique ecological role,” explains Liliana Ortiz Tolhuysen, the strategy, science, and innovation manager at WWF Chile. “Any ecosystem needs an apex predator, and here in America and Latin America, the puma is one of the most important; we have to protect them as their role is irreplaceable.” They’re what’s known as an “umbrella species,” meaning, says Lochard, that by preserving them you “also invest in the preservation of hundreds of other species—it’s a concept of biology and biodiversity.” Pumas are an important part of regulating herbivore behavior and numbers, which in turn supports vegetation growth.“The PUMA has a UNIQUE ecological role,” says Liliana Ortiz Tolhuysen, the strategy, SCIENCE, and INNOVATION manager at WWF Chile.Diego MartinezA key element of the partnership is protecting habitat connectivity. The puma is one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammals in the Americas, with its territory ranging from Canada all the way down to southern Chile, and it’s important to ensure it can move around—and between protected areas—which can involve building special tunnels and bridges. There are also education strategies aimed at reducing conflict with livestock owners, as pumas will sometimes hunt their herds. (It’s illegal to hunt or kill pumas in Chile, though they can be shot in self-defense.) One option is to give ranchers a guard dog—different from a herding dog—that has been specially trained to protect the sheep. Better education around practical strategies such as stronger fences and deterrents is also key. Additionally, the maison has also funded special self-release GPS collars and cameras that can track the big cat’s movement patterns without disturbing it. “The puma is very adaptable and is living with all these threats but doing okay. But all it takes is one shift, and things could change,” says Ortiz. Currently, it has a “near threatened” status in Chile, so constant monitoring is important.This project is only part of the environmental work the brand is committed to, from refillable fragrances to regenerative farming with suppliers. It’s all important, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t an extra frisson to hearing about the work between these two powerhouses while I watched a puma mama gambol with her cubs in the scrubland of Torres del Paine National Park. There’s still a long way to go, but, says Lochard, “We are a beauty leader in our sector, so we have to set the pace.” Not to mention giving the rest of the industry some serious pause for thought.Alex Strohl