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The popularity of niche fragrances did not leave indifferent the famous perfume houses, which released their own non-commercial collections. Their creators assure that they are driven solely by the love of art.
Previously, a woman was instructed to be faithful to one fragrance as an integral part of her own style. But gradually, perfumes became an attribute of fashion, a seasonal decoration and part of the current wardrobe. The pursuit of aromanovinki began, of which there were more and more. Brands rapidly expanded the range. Perfumers had no time for creativity. They began to use ready-made cliches, did not hesitate to plagiarize and release numerous versions of existing fragrances. It is not surprising that in the stream of formulaic synthetic perfumes, the eyes, or rather, the noses of buyers turned towards non-commercial perfumes. Moreover, the creators of niche fragrances emphasized their independence from market trends, sang high aroma art and openly said that their creations were not for everyone. All this flattered the vanity of buyers, encouraging the eternal desire to stand out from the crowd and emphasize their uniqueness. Even the “biting” price has benefited here. The logic worked: good things don’t come cheap. The message worked. Nisha became fashionable and began to “pull” customers from famous brands. But this they could not bear.
Drive behind the nose
In order not to miss the buyer who is willing to pay a high price for something conceptual, rare and mysterious, famous perfume houses have created their own niche lines. With a thoughtful philosophy, a recognizable handwriting, the best ingredients and a high (of course!) Price. Simply put, with a complete set of elements that will make the conceited client feel like a perfume esthete. The idea turned out to be brilliant. Moreover, in contrast to the “home-grown” niche brands, perfume houses have tremendous opportunities. Starting from impressive laboratories equipped with advanced equipment, and ending with the purchase of raw materials. But most importantly, geniuses work for them – elite perfumers with vast experience, talent and knowledge. Only five houses can afford such a luxury as their own “nose”: Hermès, Guerlain, Dior, Cartier and Chanel. Other brands use the services of perfume concerns. So the exclusive possession of such a treasure is not a sin to emphasize. Needless to say, the aroma artists themselves liked the idea of freedom of creativity without the supervision of marketing.
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A touch of velvet
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana launched a niche collection of six perfumes in 2012, the Velvet Collection. As conceived by the designers, each composition should recreate on the skin the feeling of a touch of velvet – the favorite material of the creative duet. As usual with Dolce&Gabbana, all Velvet Collection fragrances come from the passions of one of the designers. Thus, vetiver, the main note of Velvet Vetiver eau de parfum, reminds Domenico Dolce of his childhood. “As a boy, I used vetiver to make me feel like an adult,” he says. And patchouli oil, around which the Velvet Patchouli perfume is built, has long been the hallmark of Stefano Gabbana. At the end of 2013, the collection was replenished with two pieces based on oud wood. Its intense fragrance is as languid and sensual as the fashion collections of Dolce&Gabbana. Olga Muradova
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Hermès – at the call of the heart
Each brand has its own history of creating a premium aroma series. The House of Hermès was the first to take this step. In 2004, his perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena released four perfumes, which, according to the maestro, were “conceived in complete freedom, without external pressure, and were the result of personal experiments.” Despite the fact that the fragrances cost fabulous money (200 euros) in those days, and even in modern times, the success was grandiose. Customers of Hermès boutiques (and the Hermessence line was sold only there) signed up for waiting lists, like the legendary Birkin bag. Now the collection has expanded to 11 fragrances. Jean-Claude Ellena still shields them from any commercialization. Doesn’t even allow focus group testing. Hermessence for him is an absolutely personal story, a territory that no one can invade. “I enjoy each of these fragrances, breaking them down into the finest shades, like a true epicurean. I smell cumin in sweat, leather in truffle, rhubarb in rose, hazelnut in vetiver, honey in amber, and velvet in pepper. Hermessence compositions are made up of nuances that cannot be expressed in words. Each one stores and evokes a whole range of emotions,” says Jean-Claude Ellena.
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Chanel is a story in bottles
The main “nose” of Chanel, Jacques Polge, had a different task: to create a top line of fragrances and express himself only within the history of the great House. In 2007, a perfume collection with the telling name Les Exclusifs de Chanel appeared on the shelves of Chanel boutiques. Its backbone was the revived fragrances created during the life of Mademoiselle herself (No. 22, Bois des Iles, Gardénia, Cuir de Russie, Bel Respiro, La Pausa, 31 Rue Cambon, Eau de Cologne). The rest of the scents Jacques Polge created and continues to create himself (today there are 16 of them). All his works, one way or another, are in contact with the historical heritage, values and symbols of the times of Coco Chanel. However, obligations to the House do not prevent Jacques Polge from sculpting true masterpieces.
Dior – a new interpretation of style
The third fashion house to create a niche for luxury fragrances is Dior. This started in 2004 with three colognes: Cologne Blanche, Bois d’Argent and Eau Noire. But Francois Demachy, who came to the post of chief perfumer of Dior, was able to completely “formalize” the idea. With his light hand, in 2010, an elegant collection of La Collection Couturier Parfumeur of 9 fragrances appeared (today there are 11 of them). Critics couldn’t resist making sarcastic comparisons to Les Exclusifs de Chanel. “Nothing in common! Not in fragrances, not in philosophy! Demachy retorted. – I immediately warned that it would be my personal creation. No frames, tasks and restorations of antiquities. I wanted to express in my fragrances the ideas of Christian Dior, which I learned from his interviews and memoirs of contemporaries. The basis of Les Exclusifs de Chanel is the revived perfume released during the life of Coco herself. I was not bound by the need to bring history to the masses. Each scent is my own vision of Dior style.” One of the fragrances in Demachy’s collection was once invented for himself: “Only he did not annoy me.” But when creating La Collection Couturier Parfumeur, the perfumer decided to include his Cologne Royale in it. So he emphasized how personal the entire collection is. The master is proud that in La Collection Couturier Parfumeur there are no two fragrances that even remotely resemble each other: “There are no two identical Dior couture dresses.”
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French fig tree
Back in 1930, Coco Chanel dreamed of a woody fragrance, tart and persistent, without a hint of shyness and affectation. And even came up with a bottle for him. But Sycomore for many years remained only a sketch in the archives of the House. Until Chanel perfumer Jacques Polge took over. He finalized the composition, making it the base of the warm and enveloping scent of vetiver. O. M.
Cartier – with jewelry subtlety
In an effort to keep up with the main fashion houses, eminent jewelry brands have also declared their right to own perfumes for the elite. So, since 2006, perfumer Mathilde Laurent has been creating individual fragrances for private clients at Cartier. “Cartier jewelers are able to realize any client’s art fantasy. And I am every perfume whim. I can even recreate the perfumes that lurk in your unconscious,” says Matilda. But in addition to “individual tailoring”, since 2010, Cartier has also had a constantly expanding niche range of Les Heures (“Watches”). Creating these fragrances, Mathilde Laurent is inspired by the individual traits of each of the 24 hours of the day. The Les Heures de Cartier collection, consisting of 13 bottles so far, has received recognition and was awarded the FiFi Awards.
A collection of luxurious fragrances (Collection Extraordinaire) is also owned by Van Cleef&Arpels Jewelry House. And this year, the concept line will appear at Bvlgari. By the way, few people know, but the Giorgio Armani Privé perfume top range was conceived by Giorgio Armani not at all for close friends (many made such a conclusion because of the word privé – “private, personal”), but in addition to the Giorgio Armani Privé jewelry collection jewelry. Launched in 2004, it, unfortunately, did not gain much success. Unlike fragrances that have become cult.
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Guerlain – for every taste
Guerlain has the widest choice of couture fragrances: the status of the guru of world perfumery obliges. Maison Guerlain offers several series of exquisite perfumes. The most impressive is L’Art et la Matière, whose fragrances are built around a specific ingredient: gardenias – Cruel Gardénia, angelicas – Angélique Noire, roses – Rose Barbare and so on. The second line is Les Elixirs Charnels, where each perfume celebrates different facets of flirting. Gourmand Coquin is dedicated to a naive nymphet, Floral Romantique is dedicated to a romantic person, and Oriental Brulant is dedicated to a fatal seductress. In the fragrances of the third range, Les Voyages Olfactifs, the traditions of French perfumery are intertwined with the character of different countries: Russia (Paris–Moscow), America (Paris–New York), Japan (Paris–Tokyo) and so on. In addition to the main lines, Maison Guerlain also has stand-alone fragrances and recreated classics.
By the way, the replicated democratic fragrance La Petite Robe Noire was originally created for the Guerlain top segment. And then it was decided to launch it to the masses. True, only the name and outlines of the bottle have been preserved from the initial version. The composition of the fragrance itself has changed, becoming more accessible. This is a rare exception. Usually, fragrances, on the contrary, get into the top perfumery world from the democratic segment due to long service or because of the nostalgia of consumers. This is how the niche lines of Maison Lancôme and La Collection Yves Saint Laurent were originally conceived. Both ranges originally included re-released fragrances that were once hits. And then they replenished with new items. Lancôme has introduced L’Autre Oud, an oud perfume that has become relevant in recent years. And in Yves Saint Laurent – oriental trio Oriental Collection. Apparently, nostalgia does not bring as much profit as niche masterpieces for a narrow circle.
Learn more
On January 25, a boutique of niche perfumery Rivoli Perfumery opened in St. Petersburg with an incredibly wide selection of rare fragrances. A special place in it is occupied by Guerlain products: here you can find fragrances that were previously presented exclusively on the Champs Elysees, as well as visit the world’s first VIP beauty cabin of this legendary French brand.
Address: St. Petersburg, Kamennoostrovsky prospect, 2.